Core Tip: Some foods that babies love to eat, or that mothers consider very nutritious, are not suitable for babies to eat in excess, as they can affect the baby's healthy growth. Mothers should pay attention to controlling the amount!
1. Preserved Eggs
Preserved eggs have a unique taste and a special flavor that some babies love. Mothers think that preserved eggs are made from processed chicken eggs, so they are nutritious and liked by the baby, so they often appear on the family dinner table.
However, preserved eggs are not suitable for babies to eat in excess. Eating too many can damage the baby's health and affect growth and development. This is because during the processing and pickling of preserved eggs, some of the ingredients contain lead oxide or lead salt. Therefore, the lead content in preserved eggs is many times higher than that in fresh eggs. Lead is toxic to the human nervous system, hematopoietic system, and digestive system. Babies are more sensitive to lead and have a much higher absorption rate than adults. It is especially pointed out that because a baby's brain tissue and nervous system are not yet fully developed, they are more susceptible to damage from lead, which can affect intellectual development.
Advice for Mothers:
It is not advisable for babies to eat too many preserved eggs; they can be tasted occasionally to change their palate. Nowadays, some regular manufacturers sell lead-free preserved eggs. It is best to buy this type of product.
2. Animal Liver
Animal liver is rich in nutrients and is an excellent source of iron and vitamin A, so many mothers like to include it in their baby's diet. Research has found that although animal liver is rich in nutrients, the liver is the largest detoxification organ and a "large biochemical factory," so the content of toxic substances and chemical gases in animal liver is several times higher than in muscle. If a baby eats too much of it, it will be detrimental to their health. In addition, animal liver is rich in vitamin A, which is a fat-soluble vitamin. Excessive consumption can easily accumulate in the body, causing discomfort symptoms.
Advice for Mothers:
It is recommended to include it 1-2 times a week. For babies under 1 year old, the amount each time should not exceed 10-20 grams. For babies aged 1-3, the amount should be about 25-30 grams each time. Fresh animal liver often contains residual toxic blood. After buying it home, be sure to rinse it for a long time and soak it in water for 1 hour to remove toxins from the liver.
3. Yogurt
Yogurt has a sweet and sour taste, so some babies like to drink it but don't like formula milk. Many people think that yogurt is also made from milk and has no nutritional difference from formula milk, so they let the baby drink whatever they like and use yogurt instead of formula milk.
However, although yogurt is made from fresh whole milk through lactic acid fermentation, it is rich in vitamin A but has very little fat, protein, and calcium content. It is easier for the human body to digest and absorb, but it does not reach the nutritional level of formula milk and does not meet the nutritional needs of infants and young children. In addition, drinking too much yogurt can lead to excessive intake of lactic acid bacteria, which may instead cause intestinal flora imbalance, affecting normal digestive and absorption functions. Moreover, giving yogurt to babies too early can easily develop a preference for sweets.
Advice for Mothers:
For healthy babies, yogurt can be used as a dietary调剂, but it is important to control the amount of yogurt consumed and it cannot replace pure milk.
4. Spinach
Spinach in the market is favored by many mothers. They believe that spinach has a high iron content and is the best vegetable for replenishing blood for the baby, so they give it to the baby almost every day.
In fact, research and analysis have found that the iron content in spinach is not that high. The iron content per 100 grams of spinach is lower than that in bok choy, cabbage, green peppers, mustard greens, and celery. Moreover, spinach contains a large amount of oxalic acid. After entering the human body, it is easy to combine with calcium in the gastrointestinal tract to form insoluble and unabsorbable calcium oxalate. Therefore, eating too much spinach can easily cause the baby to have a calcium deficiency and affect the absorption of zinc, which is not conducive to the baby's bone and tooth development.
Advice for Mothers:
To supplement iron for babies, you can eat more meat, jujube paste, fish paste, egg yolk, etc. It is best to arrange a variety of vegetables in the baby's diet and eat them alternately. If eating spinach, blanch it in boiling water first to remove most of the oxalic acid.