Can children under 1 year old have tea? Tea components and their effect on the child

The benefits and harms of tea

Among the beneficial properties, we note that tea effectively quenches thirst, fills the body with energy and gives vigor, and improves mood. It contains tannins, which reduces appetite and helps reduce excess weight, and helps with diarrhea.

In addition, they produce special herbal teas for newborns and infants. Some of these drinks are given as early as one or two months. Chamomile or linden tea is included in the diet after six months, weak black tea - after a year. Many people wonder if children can have green tea. Due to the high tannin and caffeine content, this drink is not recommended until the age of ten.

Tea is contraindicated for children with food allergies and personal intolerances, or with increased sensitivity to caffeine. A child should not drink the drink if they have insomnia, hyperactivity and increased activity, elevated temperature, kidney disease, gastritis and ulcers. Giving children green tea is not recommended until they are 10-12 years old.

Doctor Komarovsky's point of view

Dr. Evgeny Komarovsky, known from television programs and consultations on the Internet, speaks of “drinking in general” for a child as an opportunity to quench thirst, and not to enjoy the drink. The list of “optimal drinks,” as the pediatrician calls it, includes herbal and fruit teas. Komarovsky believes that they should be at room temperature. If the child has been accustomed to drinking tea warm, the heating intensity should be gradually reduced - it’s healthier.

The pediatrician is confident that tea is beneficial for the child’s body, but warns parents about maintaining a sense of moderation. Komarovsky allows you to start introducing your baby to his favorite Russian drink during the first feedings (from 6 months of age), giving 1 teaspoon of tea, no more. If allergy symptoms are detected, tea should be abandoned.

Coffee break - what it is, menu options and their cost - you will find out in this article.
We talked in detail about the types of Chinese teas with their descriptions in this material.

How to prepare tea for children

All varieties of tea come from the same plant, but they undergo different processing. In this way, black, green and red varieties are obtained. Black tea is considered the safest for children, since it has the lowest theine and tannin content.

Brew only natural loose leaf tea, do not use bags! They contain harmful impurities and dangerous chemical additives that can cause allergies, worsen stools, lead to indigestion and poisoning. Brew a weak drink by adding half a teaspoon of tea leaves to a glass of boiled water. Infuse the tea for two to three minutes and strain the tea leaves.

Give your baby only freshly brewed tea, that is, brew a new one every time. Otherwise, during repeated and subsequent heating, harmful formations appear in the drink. Make sure the tea is weak and warm, light brown in color. A hot drink can burn the intestines, while a cold drink loses its taste and has no benefit.

Give black tea only in the first half of the day, preferably in the morning, otherwise the child will have difficulty falling asleep due to the invigorating properties of the drink. But children's herbal teas, on the contrary, are given before bedtime, as they have a calming effect. Children under three years old do not drink tea every day, but up to four times a week. In this case, the dosage of the drink should not exceed 50 ml.

For children over three years old, you can increase the single serving to a small cup of 100 ml. After six years, you can give tea every day. Now let's find out what additives can be added to a child's tea drink.

Chemical composition of tea leaves

In order to figure out at what age children can drink black tea, you will have to look into the chemical composition and carefully understand this issue.

The composition contains about 300 elements, not all of them are soluble in water, only 40%, if we talk about black tea:

Amino acids. These are natural compounds that consist of acids and amines. Together they provide an important component for the formation of proteins, which are involved in almost all life processes of the body. Amino acids promote the production of antibodies for the body's resistance and increase hemoglobin.
Tannins. These are substances of plant origin that are responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect and have an astringent, that is, hemostatic effect. They protect the mucous membrane from pathogenic bacteria.
Essential oils. These are volatile substances of plant origin that act as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and sedative. Essential oils can have a carminative effect, that is, relieve spasms in the intestines.
Caffeine. Refers to alkaloids. They increase the metabolic activity of the body, stimulate the central nervous system, and remove excess fluid. However, it may make it difficult to absorb calcium.
Alkaloids. Organic nitrogen-containing compounds of plant origin. Almost all alkaloids have an analgesic effect, calm the nervous system, and increase body tone.
Carbohydrates. They are a combination of sucrose and glucose. Carbohydrates help normalize intestinal microflora and ensure normal peristalsis. Glucose and sucrose ensure normal functioning and nutrition of the brain.
Organic acids. One of the main tasks of organic acids is to maintain the acid-base balance. They promote alkalization in the body, which allows for better absorption of nutrients.
Magnesium. This is a microelement that is responsible for the normal functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Like amino acids, magnesium is involved in the formation of proteins. It increases the stability of cells during growth.
Potassium. Responsible for the “delivery” of oxygen to brain cells, has a beneficial effect on intestinal function, and supports the kidneys. Provides nutrition to cells.
Sodium. A macronutrient that is responsible for normal growth and development of the body. Serves as a deliverer of important nutrients to the cells of the body.
Zinc. A microelement that activates a variety of processes in the body. It is necessary to maintain the emotional background and is involved in the development of the reproductive system. Increases the body's resistance. Promotes cell renewal.
Fluorine. The most important element that participates in the formation of tooth enamel and is generally responsible for the health of bone tissue. Fluoride helps iron be better absorbed and strengthens the immune system.
Iodine. It is vital for maintaining thyroid function. Promotes proper development of muscle tissue, improves metabolism.
Vitamins. They provide support to the entire body, increase stress resistance and overall body resistance. Participate in many vital processes of the body.

However, there are different types of black tea, including varying qualities and fermentation methods. The content of certain useful substances will depend on all this.

What tea additives can a child have?

Milk eliminates some of the harmful compounds that are present in tea. It reduces the effect of tannins, which eliminates the risk of anemia. Milk neutralizes the effect of oxalic acid and prevents the leaching of calcium from the body. In addition, tea with milk does not affect tooth enamel. Many pediatricians recommend diluting the drink with milk by half at first, then reducing the volume of milk slightly.

Tea with lemon is given to a child no earlier than two years old. Lemon begins to be introduced into a child’s diet after ten months. First give diluted lemon juice, and then a small piece of lemon. This fruit improves digestion, helps with constipation and diarrhea, and has a disinfectant effect. This is an excellent prevention and treatment for colds. But lemon is a strong allergen. In addition, it contains fruit acids.

Dried berries and apples, aromatic herbs and ginger can be used as additives. They will add beneficial properties, enhance the taste and strengthen the immune system, making the drink rich. Such drinks are useful for colds and during epidemics.

However, many foods can cause an allergic reaction, so you must first introduce each component separately into the child’s diet. If you are not allergic to a component, add a small amount of the product to the drink.

It is better not to put sugar in tea or put it in a minimal dosage. Sugar can be replaced with honey, but it is a strong allergen, so introduce the product carefully and do not exceed the recommended limits. Read about the benefits and harms of honey for a child and how to properly introduce the product into a baby’s diet.

Arguments for and against regular tea

According to pediatricians, regular teas are not suitable for infants, regardless of the age at which they are introduced. This is explained by the following arguments:

Such preparations contain tannins, or tannins. They have a destructive effect on iron molecules, which leads to a decrease in hemoglobin levels. At the same time, they also reduce appetite and irritate the delicate gastric mucosa. Moreover, green tea often contains these components in much larger quantities than black tea.
Oxalic acid spoils the child’s tooth enamel that has not yet fully formed, provoking the development of caries.
Caffeine, which is also quite abundant in store-bought tea, regardless of the type, negatively affects the condition of children's hearts and blood vessels.

Advice: It is strictly forbidden to give your child a drink made from so-called sachets. Typically, such a mass does not even contain real tea leaves, only a residual product that contains a maximum of harmful components and almost no useful substances.

Among the most common consequences that black or green tea offered to a child before he reaches a conscious age can cause are hyperactivity, a tendency to allergies, sleep problems, and memory loss. Some of these phenomena will appear only after some time, as a result of the gradual accumulation of harmful products in the tissues.

On the other hand, when certain conditions are met, children can also be given an “adult” product, but this only applies to absolutely healthy children:

The child has already reached the age of 1.5-2 years.
The daily volume of the drink does not exceed 100-150 ml.
We start with herbal, fruit and berry or black varieties. Green tea should be the last one.
We make the tea leaves as light a color as possible.
It is recommended to add milk to the liquid (proportion 1:1). This will neutralize potentially dangerous substances and compounds.
We do not add sugar, honey and lemon to tea for children!
Green tea has a pronounced tonic effect. It can be given to children only in the morning, otherwise disturbances in daytime or nighttime sleep are guaranteed.

And yet, the best option for tea drinks in the first months of life will be children's analogues, developed taking into account all the characteristics of a growing organism.

Children's herbal teas

Special children's herbal herbal tea is brewed with mint, chamomile, lemon balm, fennel, linden and rosehip. Today they even produce drinks that are suitable for children from two months. They are designed to eliminate colic and improve digestion, calm and help sleep, and relieve inflammation. Chamomile tea and a drink with fennel cope especially well with these tasks.

Chamomile and thyme are great for allergies. They relieve skin inflammation, diaper rash and redness, and eliminate itching. Chamomile and thyme are often added to baths. However, thyme is not recommended for children under one year of age. In addition, due to its specific taste, the child may not like it.

Ginger tea is good for young children, since ginger is a safe product and rarely causes allergies. At the same time, it has the most beneficial effect, strengthens the immune system and helps with colds. Tea with mint or linden calms the nervous system and improves sleep, eliminates flatulence and bloating.

Very, very often I come across posts asking what time to give tea, before a year or after a year. In general, tea is only possible after 2 years. Mine only drank it after she was 4 years old, she never liked it, I also think this drink is useless for children! I have always been tormented by the question: Why even try to give it to small children? There is water or compote. Just don’t be offended by anything, it’s just me who is interested in tea.

Tea contains tannins - tannins, which can bind iron and prevent its absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, drinking tea by infants can lead to anemia.
Tea contains alkaloids, including caffeine, but in tea it is associated with tannins, therefore it has a milder, but longer-lasting effect and is called theine. Theine stimulates the nervous system, accelerates metabolism, enhances gastric secretion and intestinal motility, increases heart rate and temperature. Young children are more sensitive to theine than adults. Caffeine (theine) disrupts the formation of vitamin D in the body and contributes to the development of rickets
. Other tea alkaloids have a vasodilator and diuretic effect, which is also not beneficial for young children.
Tea contains many purine bases, from which uric acid and its salts
. The kidneys of a child in the first year of life are not mature enough to excrete. The accumulation of uric acid in the blood can lead to increased excitability, irritability, skin rashes, and frequent vomiting.
Tea stains tooth enamel and binds calcium
. Tea contains oxalic acid, which can bind calcium. In children of the first year of life, the main food is milk; it contains a lot of calcium, so if tea is consumed after meals, oxalic acid is neutralized in the gastrointestinal tract and does not enter the blood in significant quantities. But if tea is given before meals or between feedings, insoluble calcium and oxalic acid compounds accumulate in the blood and urine. Oxalic acid interacts with calcium in teeth, destroying them; in addition, coloring pigments contained in tea are deposited in the sensitive tooth enamel of milk teeth.

For adults, these effects are noticeable only when drinking very strong tea or a large amount of it, but even a small amount of tea affects the children's body.

Which tea should I give my child, black or green?

Black and green tea are varieties of the same product.

They differ in production technology. Black tea is fermented, but green tea is not. Green tea retains more vitamins, especially B vitamins and flavonoids (antioxidants), but also contains more caffeine. Therefore, it is recommended to give black tea to children of preschool and primary school age.

What does tea contain?

Tea is considered one of the healthiest drinks. It is not for nothing that in ancient times it was used for treatment, and in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe it was sold in pharmacies. This drink contains many bioactive substances that have a beneficial effect on the body. But if tea is definitely beneficial for adults, this statement is not so clear for children. Babies need soothing tea, and black or green drinks cannot provide this effect.

The tea contains:

Theine is an alkaloid compound that acts on the body as a tonic. However, in children it inhibits the formation of vitamin D in the body, which leads to rickets.

Purines are compounds that provoke the formation of urea and oxalates. For children, such chemical processes can be difficult, since the kidneys need to work hard to eliminate salts.

Oxalic acid prevents the absorption of calcium in the body of children and has a negative effect on tooth enamel.

Vitamins B and C.

Microelements (potassium, manganese, magnesium).

Bioflavonoids - these compounds belong to the group of antioxidants. White tea contains the most of them; in black tea their content is reduced as a result of fermentation.

Thus, an infant under one year old does not need tea at all. It is better to give him clean drinking water, which will be more beneficial. When breastfeeding a child under one year old, it is not at all necessary.

How to brew and how to give tea to a child

After 2 years, children are allowed weak tea: brew 1/2 teaspoon of tea leaves per 200 ml of boiling water, leave for 2-3 minutes (the tea does not need to be brewed for a long time, with prolonged infusion its concentration increases), strain, cool until warm and give:

up to 3 years 50 ml – 3-4 times a week,
from 3 to 6 years old, you can increase the amount of tea to 100 ml - 3-4 times a week,
from 7 years old you can give stronger tea: 1 tsp per 200 ml of boiling water, 200 ml 3-4 times a week,
Children are not given tea before bed because of its stimulating effect,
tea is not given at high temperatures, because it can help increase it,
tea should be given freshly brewed, after an hour the concentration of vitamins in it significantly decreases, and when heated, harmful substances are formed,
It is better to give tea to children warm; hot tea destroys tooth enamel and has a pronounced irritating effect on the stomach, while cold tea is less absorbed and loses some vitamins.

The effect of tea on children of different ages

At what age children can be given tea, each parent decides independently. However, you should know how this drink affects a child at each age in order to choose the safest period for introducing tea into the diet.

From birth to one year

The World Health Organization advises against giving any liquids other than milk to children under six months of age. If the child is transferred to artificial feeding, then from approximately 4 months it is allowed to include special children's teas in the diet. Although these drinks are called tea, they do not contain caffeine or tannins, so they are safe for such a small child.

Usually they contain substances that are beneficial for the baby, which will have a normalizing effect on the digestive system.

But before giving this tea to children, you need to consult a pediatrician.

Once your baby reaches six months of age, you can start giving him a variety of herbal teas. The concentration of such a drink should be small so that the body gradually begins to get used to it. The most useful are decoctions of chamomile and fennel, which have a bactericidal effect and normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. But you can give such teas no more often than once a day, and a few hours before bedtime.

Up to three years

At the age of one year it is allowed to start giving berry and fruit decoctions. They contain many vitamins, strengthen the immune system and increase health. Teas made from rose hips, linden, raspberries, apricots, and currants are considered the most beneficial for children.

If you are worried that the fruits and berries of these plants may cause an allergic reaction, then you can take the leaves for decoctions.

After three years

At this age, you can already start giving regular varieties of tea: black, green, white. But at first, you should not abuse such drinks that contain a lot of tannins. You should start with a one-time tea drink in the morning. After all, if you drink tea in the late afternoon, there is a high probability that your baby will suffer from insomnia.

Tea good for children

Tea with milk

is of tea that is recommended for young children.

and most often appears on the menu of kindergartens and primary schools. This tea is healthier than regular tea. For children under 3 years of age, tea is diluted with milk by half; for children over 3 years of age, milk is simply added in an arbitrary amount.

Milk reduces some of the undesirable effects of tea:

dilutes the tea, makes it less concentrated,
neutralizes oxalates in the cup, as a result they do not interact with tooth enamel, do not enter the blood, and, together with part of the calcium, are excreted by the intestines (thus the calcium that is already in the body is not washed out of it),
binds tannins and reduces their negative effects, including their irritating effect on the gastric mucosa and their binding of iron,
milk prevents the interaction of tea pigments with tooth enamel,

Tea with milk contains:

all the vitamins and microelements
that are found in regular tea,
caffeine (theine)
, milk does not affect its absorption, the stimulating effect of tea on the nervous system remains, therefore it is not recommended to drink this tea at night,
purine bases
.

Tea with sugar

Tea with sugar is not good for children

. Sugar does not add any beneficial properties to tea. The less sugar there is in tea, the better for the child. It is best if the child drinks tea without sugar.

Tea with honey

To improve the taste of tea, it is much more beneficial to add honey to it.

. This tea is especially suitable for colds. Honey should not be added to hot tea, only to warm tea, since when heated, honey releases toxins.

Tea with fruits and berries

To improve the taste of tea , it is healthier than sugar by adding

into it:

apple
cut into pieces ,
lemon
,
black currants
- such teas are rich in vitamin C and iron,
raspberries
– has a good effect on the gastrointestinal tract, has an antipyretic effect,
strawberries, lemon balm, mint
- regulate metabolism, calm.

Herbal and fruit teas are also beneficial for children

, which do not contain regular tea.
You can
them at home and
give them to your child
, but it is always better to consult a doctor.

There are ready-made teas for children

which
can be consumed every day
, as well as medicinal ones that the doctor prescribes as medicine.

Thus, all the beneficial properties of this wonderful drink have a positive effect only on the adult body, so it is not recommended to give it to a child under 1 year of age. At this age, babies need easily digestible foods rich in beneficial microelements and vitamins.

Tea recipes for a one-year-old baby

Tea for a 1 year old child is primarily herbal, black, and fruity. Teas are brewed in the same way as for adults, but the ingredients are added in a smaller dose. Additional stress on the body is contraindicated for children.

Linden, mint and other herbal tea drinks are prepared as follows:

take a earthenware container with a lid and pour boiling water over it;
1 tsp. mint or linden, poured with a glass of hot boiled water;
wrap in woolen cloth, let stand for 15-20 minutes;
filter, top up to 200 ml - the drink is ready to drink.

Mint tea with lemon. The finished mint infusion is filtered, then 1-2 drops of freshly squeezed juice are added or left for 1 minute. a small slice of lemon. Mint soothes, lemon flavors and enriches the drink with vitamin C.

Rosehip drink. Rosehip is known as a multivitamin. It is recommended to give to children from six months of age. Increases appetite, promotes kidney function, serves as an additive to herbal cold teas and for the prevention of diseases of the genitourinary system.

Fruit drink. In a glass of hot water, infuse a teaspoon of a mixture of dried fruits and berries:

raspberries;
currants, chokeberry, serviceberry;
apples, pears.

Strain and, slightly sweetened with fructose, give it to the child to drink. You can boil the berries for 3-4 minutes. over low heat, let it brew, serve to the baby for consumption.

Black tea. Black children's tea from 1 year of age is given to babies in two types: without additives and with milk. A freshly prepared drink is valuable for the child: it invigorates, adds vitamins and microelements to the body.

Black tea can be given to a one-year-old child during the daytime; it is not recommended at night, as it negatively affects sleep - the child will be restless.

Black tea is brewed in two ways:

First way.

Take high quality bagged or loose leaf tea. Brew in a teapot, pour slightly cooled boiling water. Hold for 50-60 seconds. in a closed container, give to drink during meals, as a third course.

Second way.

Boiled milk is added to the finished freshly brewed drink. Sugar is added not in its usual form, but as syrup. The baby's body processes it more easily.

As the child develops, from birth to one year, the diet also changes. If you follow the rules of food intake and listen to the advice of your pediatrician, you can achieve good health results, including for the baby’s nervous system.

Any drink for a child should be at an optimal temperature of up to 40 degrees. The video shows how to quickly cool children's tea.

Water balance plays an important role for a child, so children's tea drinks are useful and necessary. But it should be introduced into the diet gradually.

“Every cup of tea you drink ruins the pharmacist” (Chinese proverb).

You will probably be surprised, but on the topic of the issue that we will try to consider in this article, children's nutritionists have broken many copies. Let's study the most common and diverse opinions on this matter, and find out for ourselves - is it possible for a small child to drink tea?

Can a cup of freshly brewed tea be harmful to the baby?

Black or green tea, which one do you prefer?

Black and green are one type of delicious drink, they differ only in technology. Black teas undergo fermentation, but green teas do not. Thus, green is considered the most fortified and healthy drink. Green tea is rich in antioxidants and has a higher concentration of caffeine.

Tea is introduced gradually. It is advisable to give it in the first half of the day, as this drink tones the body, which means the child may not fall asleep at the right time.

It should be remembered that honey contains allergens, so you should consult a leading pediatrician before taking it.

Components that make up tea leaves. Their effect on the baby's body

As is known, a large number of bioactive components have been found in tea leaves. And if for an adult the effect of a freshly brewed, aromatic drink is a balm for the soul, then for a baby everything is not so simple.

Most pediatricians agree that for infants, if the mother has enough milk, there is no need to give any liquid before introducing complementary foods. The only exception can be ordinary water in the hot season.

Mom's milk is much tastier than some tea!

introduce tea, traditional for your family, into your baby’s diet no earlier than one and a half to two years of age.

.
Of course, this should not be a drink from mom’s (and even more so dad’s, “chifir”) mug. The brew for children can only be weak (no more than 1-1.5g per glass). Considering the tonic effect of tea, we give it only in the first half of the day
(you don’t want to spend the night with your overexcited offspring later?). By the way, although green tea is considered more beneficial in terms of the content of many vitamins and flavonoids, it also contains more caffeine.

Well, of course, we remember the popular wisdom: “Fresh tea is medicine, old tea is poison.”

Is it possible to give a child hibiscus tea?

Hibiscus tea is considered the safest for children. It can be administered to a child after the 1st year of life. Despite the fact that after brewing this drink acquires a bright and rich color, it can be consumed by all children. In addition to its charming taste with a slight sourness, this drink perfectly strengthens and stimulates the immune system.

It is not very tonic, but is rich in a number of vitamins and citric acid. Hibiscus is administered in the same way as classic black tea, that is, in the morning, slightly concentrated.

It is worth noting that drinking strong teas is not recommended for children of any age. All drinks should be diluted with boiled water, and only in this form will it be healthy and tasty.

Medicinal herbal teas

Despite the fact that herbs, unlike chemicals, are considered harmless by our people, we remember that most of the plants on the basis of which children's herbal teas are produced are biologically active substances. That is, without fanaticism!

Each family member will enjoy a drink.

With the help of herbal remedies, many children's problems can be solved without resorting to drug treatment. But here you will need the advice of a pediatrician, and of course, your maternal intuition.

Most often, herbal teas are used as sedatives. But with their help you can cure the baby from many other ailments:

Most children's herbal teas are now sold in pharmacies in the required proportions and dosages. Or you can use granulated herbal teas for children after consulting your doctor. Some of them (for example, based on chamomile and fennel) are used to solve the problems of babies from their first months of life.

Tea, green or black, although considered a harmless and even medicinal drink, should be given to young children with caution. In pediatrics, there is no consensus on how much tea and when, at what age children can be given, but certain standards and rules for preparation still exist.

Linden tea for children

Of course, linden is the most popular plant for fighting colds. However, it contains a large number of useful substances that greatly affect the functioning of the body. It is for this reason that it is not recommended to be given to children under 6 years of age.

In addition, this drink should not be consumed daily. It is best to drink this tea in winter for preventive purposes, or only during illness.

Constant consumption of linden tea can lead to allergic reactions, so you should consult a specialist. Which will indicate the correct dosage and time of administration.

The effect of black tea on children 2-3 years old

A two-year-old child is usually already allowed to drink tea. At this time, the child’s body is partially formed in order to absorb the benefits from the drink without causing harm. Good tea for children can improve digestion, boost immunity, and provide necessary beneficial elements. However, tea must be chosen very carefully. You should not take a packaged drink, its quality is often low. You need to start with loose leaf tea.

The first time after the drink has been introduced into the diet, it is worth especially carefully monitoring the child’s condition. He should not have allergic reactions, increased excitability, problems with sleep or digestion. If something from this list does appear, it is better to immediately stop drinking the drink and show the child to a doctor.

Is black tea with milk good or bad?

Tea with milk is considered one of the healthy drinks in a baby’s diet. The combination of milk and leaf tea does not irritate the walls of the gastrointestinal tract and retains all the beneficial substances. This drink can be given after 1 year.

However, this drink also has its drawbacks:

Contraindicated in children with lactase intolerance;
For allergic reactions to any dairy products.

This tea should be brewed as follows:

Take 1-2 grams of loose leaf tea and brew it in 200 ml. water. Then boil the milk in a clean container. We dilute tea with milk in a 1:1 ratio; for older children, the ratio can be changed.

Effective teas with therapeutic effects for children under one year of age

For the first 28 days of life, the baby does not need to be offered anything other than breast milk. After this period, water is introduced, the rest of the additional drink can be postponed until the introduction of the first complementary foods. Particularly popular among mothers are medicinal teas, which are offered to the child in response to any malfunctions in the body. In this case, you must pay attention to the age of the baby:

Fennel. Copes perfectly with such troubles as flatulence, colic, dysbacteriosis. If you regularly give your baby 50-70 ml of drink per day, you can quickly correct the situation without resorting to drug treatment. It can be introduced into the diet from the first month of life.

Tip: When a baby is breastfed, he is given tea only from a spoon. Otherwise, the baby may refuse the breast, from which it is much more difficult to obtain food than from the nipple.

Chamomile decoction. Strengthens the immune system, allows you to quickly cure colds, and helps solve problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Used from 4 months. The daily dose can be increased to 150-200 ml.

Linden, Melissa. Great for soothing gums as teeth begin to emerge. It is recommended to use from 4-5 months in a standard amount.
Rosehip and raspberry. Very light, but quite effective. They are used separately and in combination, no earlier than the child is 5-6 months old.
Berries. An excellent general health drink, which is recommended to be given to children prone to various colds. The optimal time to start is 7-8 months. The daily volume of liquid can already be 250 ml.

Children's teas with a calming effect deserve special attention. In this case, it is better to give preference to drinks that contain birch leaves, rose hips, licorice, motherwort, mint and lavender. Linden blossom, chamomile and lavender enhance the severity of the therapeutic effect of the listed components.

Features of mint tea

Mint is a natural sedative. Of course, what could be healthier than a drink with the addition of this unique plant. However, everyone should be warned. Modern medicine has not yet fully elucidated all the features of mint and its effect on a small organism. It can cause severe allergic reactions.

In addition, the use of mint is contraindicated:

Children with chronic diseases of the genitourinary system.
Diseases of the kidneys and nervous system.
Prone to allergic reactions.

Before introducing a mint drink, you should contact your local doctor, who knows the history of the child’s development and can prescribe the correct dosage or stop using this plant.

Contraindications

Sometimes you shouldn’t even think about whether you can give your child tea, because there are contraindications for drinking this drink. Therefore, it is better to hold off on drinking tea until adulthood if your baby has:

ulcer or gastritis,
sensitivity to caffeine
some kidney diseases
insomnia.

The tea you start giving to your baby should be very weak at first. Approximately half a teaspoon of tea leaves is taken per 200 ml of water. This tea should be infused for no more than three minutes, so as not to make the concentration of substances contained in this drink too high. Then you should strain the brewed tea, cool it to the desired temperature and give it to your baby.

Children aged 2–3 years should be given no more than 50 ml of tea at a time.

At the age of 3 to 6 years, the single dosage can be increased to 10 ml. After 7 years, it is allowed to increase the single dosage to 200 ml and prepare a stronger drink.

What tea is best to give to a child? Pediatricians recommend starting after three years with black leaf without any flavorings or additives. It is better not to add sugar to it, but if you want to make it slightly sweeter, you can add honey.

It is better to start giving green tea no earlier than 10 years. This is because green tea leaves are less processed than black tea and therefore contain more caffeine and tannin.

It is better to buy tea for your child in a specialized store, where you can evaluate the quality and composition. You should not brew a drink in bags for your baby, as it is difficult to control what is inside.

You should be careful with herbal infusions and additives in black tea, as they can cause an allergic reaction.

Tea with fruits

Tea with fruit is a fortified drink that can be introduced into the diet of babies from 7 months.

Along with the usual compotes, fruit tea is not brewed, but steamed with boiling water. Thanks to this, the maximum content of nutrients and vitamins remains in the drink.

For fruit tea you can use the following fruits:

Green apples;
Prunes or plums;
Apricot or dried apricots.

For older children, you can add peach, pear or berries.

It is worth remembering that new fruits or berries should be introduced gradually and one product at a time in order to correctly assess the baby’s body’s reaction to an unfamiliar product. Otherwise, if any reaction occurs, tea from several products should be discontinued.

Fruit teas

Since black or green tea cannot be given to a child under one year of age, it is understandable that mothers are interested in when and at what age fruit teas can be given, because babies drink dried fruit compote starting from 7-8 months, and some even earlier.

Unlike compote, fruit tea is brewed rather than boiled. However, introducing them into complementary foods is quite justified from 7-8 months, if the tea leaves include only natural fruits, without tea. It is best to prepare this tea yourself. Under no circumstances should you buy cheap tea leaves with flavorings.

Nowadays, baby food stores sell a lot of fruit teas in granules for children based on extracts. They are enriched with probiotics and beneficial substances. Companies such as Hipp, Semper, Heinz produce high-quality sugar-free products with easily digestible fructose or dextrose based on raspberries, currants, strawberries and other fruits and berries.

This tea is very convenient to prepare. It is enough to pour boiling water over the granules or a bag - and the child’s tea is ready. This saves time. These teas are recommended for children from 12 months.

Ginger tea for children

Ginger is considered a very useful root on earth. It contains more than 400 useful substances, vitamins and fatty acids. Therefore, it is considered a unique remedy for the body:

Boosts and strengthens the immune system.
Tones and invigorates the body after illness.
Maintains normal cholesterol levels.
Thins the blood.
Relieves inflammation and fights colds.

This root is truly universal. However, due to the high concentration of various substances, it is not recommended to be given to children under 2 years of age.

At an early age, ginger tea can be used as a remedy only as prescribed by the attending physician. No more than 1 time per day.

Possible harm from drinking tea at an early age

Everyone knows about the benefits of the tea drink, but not all parents know why it is worth refusing to introduce it into the children's diet. The drink we are used to is a strong tonic, so drinking it can lead to the following problems for the baby.

Why tea can be dangerous:

Tannin contained in tea leaves interferes with the absorption of iron, which can lead to anemia at an early age, as well as problems with blood supply to organs. In adults, the supply of this element is quite large, but for children, even a small loss of iron from the body can have catastrophic consequences.
The main component that provides the strength of the drink is caffeine. Some varieties of black tea contain it even in higher concentrations than coffee, so the invigorating effect, which is positive for adults, can negatively affect the baby’s well-being. Caffeine in high doses leads to increased heart rate, increased blood pressure and increased gastrointestinal function. Such phenomena are undesirable for a fragile body, moreover, tea slows down the absorption of vitamin D, and this is the main “building” material at this age.
Tea is also known for its diuretic effect, which is not beneficial for a growing body. Along with toxins and “bad” minerals, the necessary supply of nutrients is also washed away.
The purine compounds that make up the drink are involved in the formation of uric acid salts. The child’s excretory system is also not fully formed, so such a load is undesirable and even dangerous. Excess uric acid can lead to allergic reactions, increased excitability and anxiety, as well as sleep disturbances.
Acids and pigments, also present in the drink, negatively affect baby teeth, contributing to the leaching of calcium and the gradual destruction of enamel. In addition, the normal process of bone tissue formation is disrupted, which is fraught with serious consequences in the future.

You may be interested in: Granulated Tea: Rich Instant Tea

Of course, such negative effects will not appear from one cup of tea. The accumulation of substances harmful to the child’s body occurs gradually, so you should not abuse this drink and start “acquaintance” in infancy. When can a child be given tea, as well as a safe portion for the baby? Let’s try to figure it out in more detail.

Is it possible to give Kalmyk tea to a child and at what age?

Kalmyk tea is a very fortified and fatty drink. This is a truly useful product in the diet of every person. It copes well with many problems and diseases in the body:

Prevents colds and viral diseases;
Has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract;
Strengthens the immune system and fights vitamin deficiencies;
Normalizes sugar levels in the body.

However, with all its advantages, a child can drink it only after the age of five. Due to the high fat content, this is a big burden for the child’s body. Therefore, this tea should be consumed at an older age, when the body is already adapted to the environment.

In general, we can talk about tea as an adult drink. It is rich in caffeine, tones and invigorates the body. For young children, it is recommended to protect the nervous system for full development and growth.

Therefore, on store shelves there is a large assortment of children's teas that are adapted to a certain age. If parents decide to introduce tea to their baby, it is better to use store-bought drinks.

They should be selected in accordance with the age of the child and be sure to maintain proportions. In addition, be sure to read the composition of the product to avoid unpleasant consequences. For example, if tea contains at least one component to which the baby is allergic, then such a drink should not be purchased.

In the first days, it is better to give tea no more than 2-3 tablespoons in the morning. In the future, the baby may be offered 1-2 small cups per day.

Drinking regime plays an important role in the proper functioning and functioning of a small organism. That is why parents know that the child’s body cannot limit itself to drinking water or milk. Tea, as a healthy and tonic drink, is present on the table almost every day in many families. Because of this, many parents often think about when they can give their kids tea, and what types of tea are good for the little ones? However, in this case everything will depend primarily on the age of the child himself.

Is there an alternative to sugar?

If the little “tea drinker” is quite satisfied with the natural taste of the drink, you are in luck. Sugar, in this case, is truly evil.

Your little sweet tooth will probably want to sweeten the drink.

First: the prospect of caries.
Secondly: it destroys a good half of the benefits contained in the tea leaves.
Thirdly: it contributes, as modern scientists say, to the incorrect formation of taste.

But if a young gourmet still demands a “sweet life”, we are looking for an alternative.

The most popular sugar substitute, since the times of our grandmothers, has been honey. Healthy, natural, harmless. But... Be careful with the last statement! This is true only if the baby is not allergic to honey.

A spoonful of honey will brighten up the blandness of the tea.

Also, to sweeten the tea, you can add pieces of fruit and berries to it. With this, let's move on to the review of the next group.

Is tea good for children?

Drinking tea has been considered beneficial for the health of the body since ancient times. At the same time, when deciding whether to introduce tea into your baby’s daily diet, it is worth finding out about its benefits. And also how positively tea works on a growing child:

Thanks to tea, a person receives vigor and a boost of activity throughout the day. However, most children are already overly energetic and do not need additional stimulation. None of the parents wants their child’s healthy sleep to be disturbed, and instead of sleeping during a quiet hour during the day, he is constantly active and behaves quite excitedly. Therefore, pediatricians do not recommend drinking tea for very young children.
Tea helps a child’s body not only fight thirst, but is also primarily part of his diet. That is why when choosing tea you should take into account its nutritional and beneficial components.
Some substances contained in tea have a positive effect on the stomach of adults and also help reduce appetite. This is good for losing weight and unloading the body of an adult, however, not for the body of a baby. Should you give your child tea in this case? Especially considering that he already eats poorly, but children should eat well and get energy every day.

If we take into account all these comments, we can note the following: tea really has beneficial properties for the human body. However, it is not so beneficial for the child. Only after some time, when the child’s body becomes strong, can the hot drink be given to the baby little by little, while children are not advised to drink tea in the first years of their life.

How to make medicinal tea for babies with your own hands?

Despite the responsible attitude of modern manufacturers to the creation of specialized drinks for infants, it is still better to give a child an absolutely natural product prepared at home. The main ingredients can be those collected independently or purchased at a pharmacy.

Rose hip tea. It has a pronounced calming effect, strengthens the immune system, relieves gum inflammation, and promotes hematopoiesis. It is best given to children 2-3 times a day within the age-appropriate dose, immediately before meals. To prepare the drink, you need to chop the rose hips, pour two tablespoons of the product into two glasses of water and place in a water bath. After boiling, let the product sit for 15 minutes, then remove and leave at room temperature for at least an hour. Strain through two layers of gauze.

Mint tea. In addition to the well-known calming effect, it has a mild diuretic and laxative effect, and relieves bloating. Pour a pinch of fresh or dried mint into a glass of boiling water and wait no more than 10 minutes. Strain the liquid, dilute it with drinking water twice so that the product is not too strong, and cool a little more if necessary.

When offering tea to your child, you must carefully monitor his well-being. In case of any negative manifestations, it is better to give up the drink for a while and return it to the diet no earlier than after 2-3 weeks.

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Why is tea harmful to children?

Drinking tea at an early age can be dangerous to a child's health. The fact is that the tonic drink promotes slow intoxication of the baby’s body. Symptoms of the negative impact of tea on the health of a growing baby can be almost invisible to parents. Only after a while the symptoms may appear on the surface, and parents will have to consult a doctor. At the same time, caring mothers and fathers will not even realize that the cause of various diseases and ailments of the child lies precisely in the early addiction to this drink.

A small body can experience various negative consequences:

Various manifestations of allergies may occur.
The child may experience insomnia and have restless dreams.
The baby may suffer from excessive hyperactivity, feel overexcited, be restless and nervous.
Many of these symptoms can result from poor attention of the child, and the child’s memory will deteriorate.
Caffeine in tea can negatively affect the functioning of a baby's fragile cardiovascular system.

Of course, the body of each individual child is so different that it is impossible to say when and how he may react to drinking tea at a young age. However, it has been proven that complications in the functioning of the body in children occur already at a more mature age. The side effect of tea does not appear immediately, but gradually. And the basis of the vital activity system of the child’s entire body will be undermined by the early use of tea. Therefore, pediatricians say that tea should be given to the baby only after a certain age, following all the important advice of doctors.

Naturally, sooner or later the child will have to be introduced to a tasty drink that his parents happily drink. However, how to make this acquaintance the safest and most beneficial for the baby’s health? At what age can babies be given tea? In modern pediatrics there are many recommendations on this matter. By following the advice of experts, parents will be able to protect their child from the harmful effects of the tonic drink on the growing body.

Pediatricians recommend that babies from birth to two years of age drink tea that is created for children. This tea does not contain caffeine, which means it is harmless for babies. As a rule, manufacturers make tea based on beneficial herbs that are good for children’s bodies. In this case, you should pay attention to the tea label with the age recommendation for the use of the drink. Today, tea products are sold on supermarket shelves for babies aged three months, for children from six months, one year old or one and a half years old. These teas are safe for the baby's body. In addition, they often contain useful components that normalize the functioning of the intestines and stomach in children. These drinks should be diluted and brewed according to the instructions on the box. However, not all children are delighted with such hot drinks, because the taste of healthy tea for children is not always pleasant. If a child refuses to drink, then you should not force him.
Regular tea for adults should be given to a child only after the age of three. Children under three years of age should not drink tonic tea.
When introducing adult tea into the diet of a three-year-old child, pediatricians recommend starting with black varieties, possibly with the addition of fruit.
Tea products must be of high quality, preferably without any artificial additives. You should not give preference to bagged tea. Tea bags are, of course, convenient, but they contain many harmful ingredients and additives. They can negatively affect the functioning of the baby's body.
It is best to buy black tea without impurities and brew it for your child in a special teapot. Parents need to follow some guidelines on how to properly brew tea. Do not brew tea that is too strong for your baby. It should be light brown, not dark.
Give your baby only freshly brewed tea. You cannot give your child a drink that has been sitting on the table for more than a day. Tea that has been left in the kitchen for a long time becomes harmful to the health of not only the child, but also the parents.
You should add tea to the daily diet of a three-year-old child little by little. For example, during the first month, parents can brew a cup of tea for their baby early in the morning. In this case, you should observe the body’s reaction to a new drink, monitor the child’s behavior throughout the day, sound sleep, the well-being and mood of the baby. If your child stops sleeping during the day, you should hold off on adding tea to your baby’s menu. Or offer your child to drink not very strong tea, making the brew even weaker. And if everything goes well, parents can gradually give the baby hot tea after a quiet hour during the day.
If a child is in poor health, has developed pathologies, or is experiencing a slowdown in development, then there is no need to rush to give him tea at the age of three. First, visit a doctor who will monitor the child’s health. A specialist will be able to tell for sure whether the baby can drink such a drink or not.
There are also rules for introducing certain types of tea into the baby’s daily menu. Not all varieties are equally beneficial for a child’s health. Parents need to be cautious with the herbal option. For example, ordinary mint, chamomile flowers and other herbs can cause allergies in a baby. And pediatricians advise giving medicinal linden tea to children only from the age of six to seven years old, as a remedy for colds and nervous diseases.
Green tea is not recommended for young children, as it contains most of the tannin and caffeine. It should be added to the children’s menu only from the age of ten to eleven. If there are no contraindications from the attending pediatrician. At the same time, you should not brew green tea too strong; you need to gradually accustom your child to this type of tea. However, it is best to give it to the baby after he/she finally grows up, when the body becomes strong and formed.
Red tea made from Hibiscus leaves is as beneficial for children as black tea. It is also allowed to give it to babies from the age of three. It contains many vitamins, it strengthens the child’s immunity, helps to fight colds and infections. However, it is important to remember that hibiscus contains a lot of citric acid, so you should not drink too much of it. In addition, you need to monitor the body’s reaction so that red tea does not cause allergies in the baby. If a child enjoys drinking hibiscus without negative consequences, then you can add it to the baby’s diet more often.

Can children have green tea?

Green tea is very rich in the presence of most vitamins and minerals. Helps mental function and enhances performance, has an antibacterial effect, helps digestive processes and improves metabolism.

The positive effects of green tea are at their best. All this is due to the fact that tea is carefully collected and processed, preventing its beneficial properties from evaporating. All beneficial properties remain on site after processing and enter the human body through enjoying a cup of drink.

What is important is that green tea contains a huge amount of essential substances for the quality growth of hair, teeth, nails and bones. All this is possible due to the huge amount of vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances.

For children, green tea must be brewed according to special rules, not like for an adult.

Due to the large number of beneficial properties, many parents often ask the question: can their children have green tea or not? There is no clear answer.

However, before giving your baby a drink, it is worth considering some of its effects on the body:

Tea stimulates the nervous system and increases overall tone, which is not necessary for a child. This drink may have a stronger effect on a child than on an adult. So, a child may develop insomnia, which will affect the growth and development of his entire body;
The substance tannin, which is abundant in the drink, reduces appetite and prevents the proper absorption of what is eaten;
Impairs the absorption of many vitamins and iron;
By increasing water consumption per day, it increases the load on the kidneys, as well as the cardiovascular system.

In connection with all this, we can say that children can drink green tea, but in limited quantities, about 1-2 servings per day and no more. An excess of it can lead to disorders in the body, which are described above.

For a child, tea should be brewed according to special rules, not like for an adult:

A child should never have strong tea, so it should be weakly brewed. To do this, you need to reduce not the brew itself, but the infusion time. The infusion should be weak;
For the first drink, the brewing time should not be more than 3 minutes;
Use only good loose leaf tea and do not brew the drink from a bag;
It is recommended that your baby drink tea in the first half of the day and not in the evening. This is due to the drink’s effect on sleep and the possible development of insomnia;
The tea should be warm, but not hot.

By following these rules, you can prepare green tea for your child, which will provide only benefits without harm. It is important to consider that you cannot feed your child with it all day, but should limit it to 1-2 servings.

Even if the baby asks for more of this drink, you should refuse him, since there may be a negative effect on the body if there is an excess of the drink and the substances it contains.

Green tea for children: from what age

Parents are often concerned about the question: can children be given green tea? Green tea is not recommended for children under 1 year of age to drink in any doses, since it is harmful for such a baby and can only cause problems.

It is recommended for babies to brew special children's teas, based on some herbs that are allowed at this age. Tea with fennel is especially good, as it relieves cramps during colic. It is also important to limit its intake to 100 ml.

It is recommended to start introducing a child to tea at the age of 2 years, not with green, but with black. Green tea is also not recommended for children 2 years old. It is worth trying black tea in small portions first. It is important that the brew is weak.

At what age can children have green tea? There is a clear answer to this question: from 3 years old and not earlier. Although the drink is healthy, it is not recommended for younger children for a number of reasons, which are associated with excessive stimulation and a negative effect on their digestive system.

Although the drink is healthy, it is not recommended for younger children for a number of reasons.

At what age can a child have green tea? We looked at it. It is also worth noting here that it is not recommended to exceed 1-2 servings. Even if the child is older, it is also not permissible for him to drink the drink excessively. Excessive use of it in large doses can even cause poisoning, expressed by nausea and vomiting.

This is due to the fact that tea contains a lot of caffeine, which increases with each new portion and it turns out that poisoning occurs.

Video: children's sleep tea

Can a child have tea? - parents ask themselves, brewing themselves another cup of aromatic drink. After all, tea gives us warmth, cheerfulness, and taste. Of course, no one talks about black tea; it can be given in weak dilution only after a year. But herbal teas have a lot of beneficial properties and often help cope with diseases without drugs.

For example:

We drink chamomile, linden, and raspberry tea for colds, for prevention during epidemics of viral infections;
Tea with lemon balm or mint helps to calm down and cope with sleep disorders;
Fennel, chamomile, anise are used for digestive disorders.

What can you add to tea?

Various additives can make tea tastier and healthier. Let's consider several options:

Bee honey makes it possible to stop using sugar, which is contraindicated for some children. For colds, this addition to tea will contribute to faster recovery.
Berries and fruits supplement the drink with vitamins and minerals. For example, a finely chopped apple will enrich it with iron and ascorbic acid. Strawberries will help improve metabolism, and raspberries are an effective antipyretic.
Milk reduces the concentration of tea in the cup and reduces its stimulating effect on the nervous system, helping to preserve tooth enamel. Young children (up to three years old) receive tea with milk in a 1:1 ratio.
Ginger is useful for strengthening the immune system. Grated root added to tea makes the drink healing for colds, helps you feel better with headaches and nausea.
Lemon is a good preventative against colds; it is rich in vitamin C.
Tea with thyme is useful in the treatment of acute respiratory diseases. In this article we talked about the beneficial properties and contraindications of thyme tea.

When and what kind of tea can you give your child?

So from how many months can you give your baby tea and what kind? Preference is given to special children's herbal tea. One-ingredient tea, such as fennel, can be given from the 1st month; it is an excellent remedy for colic. Tea, which contains several herbs, is offered to children from 4 months. One of the conditions for using such tea is the absence of allergies to any component of the drink.

Your pediatrician will tell you at what age you can give your child tea. It depends on what problem you want to solve.

If the baby has colic or digestive problems, it is suitable, which can be drunk from a month.
If a child's throat is red and a cough begins, chamomile tea can be given from 1 month. Give half a teaspoon first to observe the reaction. Then you can give 1-2 teaspoons, and for children from one to five years old - half a cup 2-3 times a day. Make sure the drink is slightly yellow.
When sleep is disturbed, a child has difficulty falling asleep or often wakes up, healthy children's tea “”, which contains fennel, chamomile, and lemon balm, will come in handy. This is a good prevention of many problems and a way to combat illnesses, which in turn promotes restful sleep for the baby. You can give this tea 2-3 teaspoons when the baby is 4 months old. Tea has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, improves digestion, and is an excellent prevention of colds.

You can also advise breastfeeding mothers to drink baby tea. Through breast milk, beneficial substances will reach the baby.

Types of tea. Children's teas and drinks

Conventionally, all types of tea that we will discuss can be divided into three large subgroups:

Actually, the tea itself, in its traditional sense (black, green, red, etc.).
Children's herbal tea mixtures.
Fruit and berry decoctions.

What type of tea is most preferable for the little ones?

It is the first group that causes the most controversy - ordinary, in our understanding, tea. At what age can you offer your baby this “adult” drink? How undesirable is its tonic effect for a little person? Can babies drink it? And what is preferable - black or green?

So, in order.

The best tea for children.

You can find out which children's tea is best using the following criteria:

Good tea is made from natural raw materials grown in ecologically clean areas (the surroundings of Moscow and other large cities, unfortunately, do not include them);
Preservatives, flavors, granules and other chemicals should not be used in its production;
Tea must comply with all standards and requirements for the quality of baby food established by Russian legislation.

Now you know what kind of tea you can give children to drink. Herbal children's tea is the best solution for those who are trying to protect their child from unnecessary medications, preferring natural remedies.

Can a child have green tea: at what age is it better to introduce this drink to a child?

For babies under 12 months, it is better to brew special baby teas in granules. A drink with fennel will eliminate colic and help normalize digestion. A child can drink no more than 100 ml of this drink per day, since tea granules contain glucose, fructose, and sucrose. An excess of these substances in the body causes caries and allergic reactions.

When choosing a drink, you must choose tea in accordance with the age of the child and carefully study the composition.

It is better to start introducing a child to an adult drink with regular black tea; it can be given to children starting from 18 months. The drink should be weakly brewed - the stronger it is, the less vitamin B it contains. To prepare a drink for a child, just pour 250 ml of boiling water into 1.5 g of tea leaves.

Black tea can be drunk immediately after brewing - as it steeps, its tannin content increases. This drink worsens digestion and appetite.

Hibiscus can be given to children from the age of three; this drink does not have pronounced tonic properties. The drink contains many vitamins, which allows it to be used effectively for the treatment and prevention of colds.

Is it possible to give a child tea before bed?

No, because tea leaves contain substances that excite the nervous system - caffeine, theophylline. Any type of tea is a weak diuretic, so you should not drink tea before bed.

Green tea is healthier than black tea, but should only be given to children over three years of age. This drink can be infused for several hours without losing its beneficial properties. Green tea leaves contain almost all vitamins and iodine. The natural antioxidant catechin helps the body fight viruses and bacteria, normalizes blood sugar, and accelerates metabolic processes.

Non-alcoholic tea drinks in bottles and tea bags contain dyes and preservatives, and a large amount of sugar, so they are absolutely not suitable for baby food.

Contraindications

The fact that tea is not the most harmless drink for children is evidenced by a number of contraindications related to the general condition of the child and diseases of individual organs. This:

the presence of food allergies to any products;
caffeine intolerance;
baby hyperactivity;
poor sleep, difficulty falling asleep;
diseases of the stomach and intestines;
kidney problems;
heat.

In addition, one must always take into account age restrictions - what kindergarteners and schoolchildren are allowed to drink, a one-year-old child cannot always drink without risk to health.

How can it be harmful?

Black and green tea, beloved by adults, should not be given to the youngest children because they contain dangerous components:

tannins – make it difficult for the body to absorb iron, and this can lead to anemia;
caffeine – leads to overexcitation, rapid heartbeat;
oxalic acid – destroys teeth;
alkaloids – have a diuretic effect, which is not beneficial for the child’s body;
purine compounds – lead to the accumulation of uric acid in the body, which the baby’s kidneys cannot cope with.

The listed substances, which are toxic for children, sometimes become a kind of “time bomb” - they gradually accumulate in the tissues of the body and can subsequently cause the child’s hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, poor memory, tendency to sleep, restless sleep. At the same time, parents will most likely remain in the dark about where all these problems come from.

What to give your child Drinks for children

le> In the summer heat, these questions become especially relevant for parents.

Everyone knows that water is necessary for the functioning of all organs and systems of the human body. Its lack primarily affects the processes of digestion and absorption of food, hematopoiesis - the formation of new blood cells. In addition, without water, heat exchange processes in the body cannot occur. A child’s need for fluid depends on age, type of nutrition (breastfeeding, artificial milk formula, complementary foods), ambient temperature, physical activity and individual metabolic characteristics.

The total amount of fluid that a child of the first year of life should receive is 100–150 ml/kg of body weight per day. Up to 6 months it is 80–130 ml/kg per day, after 6 months – 130–150 ml/kg, from 1–3 years – 100 ml/kg, after 3 years – 80 ml/kg per day.

When to start?

Currently, there are recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to which children under 6 months of age who are breastfed should not be given additional fluids without special medical indications.

The fact is that breast milk is both food and drink for the baby. Foremilk, which is released at the beginning of feeding, is thinner and consists of 87% water. It completely satisfies the baby's need for fluid. Supplementing a breastfed baby before 6 months can lead to a decrease in breast milk consumption. This is due to the fact that if the baby receives water instead of milk, he has a false feeling of fullness, he sucks out less milk, which leads to malnutrition and loss of body weight of the baby.

If the baby sucks little and reluctantly after drinking water, this, in turn, can lead to a decrease in mother's milk production. Therefore, a breastfed baby should be supplemented with water only when complementary foods are introduced.

For children who are bottle-fed or mixed-fed, the need for additional water consumption arises from the moment formula is introduced into the diet. Formula milk is a difficult product to digest, and without supplementation, the baby may develop problems with the gastrointestinal tract, such as constipation.

How to give water to a child?

However, there are times when a baby needs extra fluid, regardless of whether he is receiving formula or breast milk. These are conditions in which pathological loss of fluid occurs: fever (body temperature above 38°C), vomiting, frequent loose stools, hot and dry weather (above 25°C). To avoid dehydration, in hot weather children need to be given water more often than usual; Babies receiving breast milk can be put to the breast more often.

Drinks can be given to the baby in between feedings. There is no need to offer your baby water before feeding, so as not to cause a false feeling of fullness. It is better to feed the baby from a spoon, and when he grows up a little, you can teach him to drink from a sippy cup or sippy cup. This cup has a special valve on the back of the lid that prevents liquid from spilling, even when it is tipped over or tilted to the side.

When a baby drinks from a spoon, the liquid goes directly into his mouth, and he just needs to swallow it. When drinking from a cup, the same principle is used. Babies who are used to drinking from a bottle (which requires several sucking movements to drink) often find it difficult to transition to drinking from a cup.

Choosing drinks

Water

At first, the best drink for a child is water. It must be clean and of high quality. This is necessary because the child’s body is more susceptible to harmful substances and microorganisms, because young children have not yet fully developed their immune system.

It is best to give your baby special bottled water for children. Firstly, during its production all hygienic requirements are met, and it is safe for children. Secondly, it has a low level of mineralization, which is important for normal kidney function. The water bottle must clearly indicate that it is “for children.” Water must meet the basic quality characteristics: be transparent, odorless, and have a neutral taste.

You can also use regular boiled water, cooled to room temperature, for your baby to drink. Only in this case is it necessary that the tap water be pre-cleaned with a filter. Filters purify tap water from harmful impurities - chlorine, iron, heavy metal salts, as well as some bacteria and viruses.

Teas

In addition to water, various children's teas are used for drinking. It is important to remember that children's tea is not at all the same tea that adults drink. Ordinary black tea should not be given to children under 1.5–2 years of age. This is due to the fact that it contains tannin, a substance that has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. As a result, the child develops sleep disturbances, tearfulness, and increased excitability. In addition, tannin affects the functioning of the heart, causing an increase in the number of heart contractions.

Children's tea has many beneficial properties. For example, it strengthens the walls and enhances vascular tone; contains fluoride, which helps avoid the development of caries and strengthens bones and teeth; contains many B vitamins necessary for the full development of the baby. Lightly brewed black tea can be given to children from 1.5–2 years old, after diluting it with milk.

For infants, there are special children's teas that may contain extracts of medicinal herbs (chamomile, dill, fennel, lemon balm, mint, anise) or fruit and berry additives - lemon, wild berries, raspberries, etc. Herbal teas have certain preventive and therapeutic effects. For example, tea with mint or lemon balm has a calming effect, and it can be offered to a child with increased neuro-reflex excitability, disruption of the process of falling asleep and staying asleep. To stimulate the immune system, rosehip extract, anise and vitamin C are added to children's tea. Before purchasing and drinking children's herbal tea, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician.

Most children's teas can be given to a formula-fed baby from 4–5 months; Until this age, babies are given only water. It is not recommended to introduce teas to children receiving breast milk before 6 months. The age at which tea can be used must be indicated on the packaging. The exception is chamomile and fennel tea, which can be given from the first month of life. It is used in children with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, as it eliminates flatulence (excessive gas formation), relieves intestinal spasms and stimulates digestion processes.

The volume of tea drunk for a baby should not exceed 100 ml per day. Almost all commercially produced children's teas contain a significant amount of carbohydrates: sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose. Excessive consumption of tea as a drink can cause the development of caries and flatulence.

When preparing teas, you must follow the instructions on the package, do not serve the tea hot (it should be at room temperature) and do not add sugar.

Juices

Children love these drinks very much, but there is no need to rush to give your baby juice. The fact is that juices are an allergenic product and can cause diathesis in infants, and also irritate the immature mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, which can cause bloating, rumbling, abdominal pain, and unstable stools. Pediatricians and the World Health Organization recommend introducing juices into a baby’s diet no earlier than 8 months.

First, clarified juices (without pulp) are introduced into the child’s diet, and at 10–11 months you can try giving the baby juices with pulp. The later introduction of juices with pulp is due to the fact that they contain plant fibers (fiber), which stimulate intestinal activity, and the child may develop stool disorders.

At first, it is better to give your baby single-component juices made from one type of fruit. This is necessary so that if an allergic reaction occurs, it is possible to determine which component the child’s body reacted negatively to and eliminate the allergen.

The first thing you can do is offer your baby green apple juice. It is the least allergenic and contains a large amount of iron necessary for the baby. Then pear, peach, apricot and plum juices are introduced. You should not offer your child juices of exotic fruits (mango, papaya, grapefruit), orange and strawberry: they often cause allergies, so it is recommended to give them after the age of 1–1.5 years. There is also no need to rush into introducing grape juice: grapes contain an increased amount of sugar and can cause fermentation processes in the baby’s intestines, which will cause him anxiety.

You need to start giving your child juice with 5 drops, gradually increasing the volume over the week to 20–30 ml per day (2nd day - ½ teaspoon, 3rd day - 1 teaspoon, by the 7th day - 6 teaspoons (30 ml By the end of the first year of life, the volume of juice that the baby drinks should be 100–120 ml per day.

The child can be given fresh juices prepared using a juicer, or industrially produced juices recommended for baby food. The packaging usually indicates the age at which children can consume this product.

Freshly squeezed juices can have an irritating effect on the baby's intestinal mucosa due to their high content of organic acids. This is manifested by increased gas formation, bloating, and intestinal colic. Therefore, it is recommended to dilute such juices with chilled boiled or bottled water in a 1:1 ratio (up to 2–3 years of age), and children over 3 years of age can be offered juices not diluted with water. At the beginning of administration, industrially produced juices are also recommended to be diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio for better adaptation of the child’s gastrointestinal tract to this product. You can stop diluting the juice when the child begins to receive the volume of this drink that corresponds to the age norm.

Compotes

After 1 year, the child can be offered compotes of fresh berries and dried fruits. They are prepared without adding sugar. The same rule applies here as when introducing juices: you need to start with a monocomponent drink and give it in small portions (starting from 10 ml per day). First, it is better to cook compote for your baby from hypoallergenic fruits - apples, pears, plums. After some time, you can add berries - cherries, cherries. The compote is given to the child cooled to room temperature.

Morse

This drink, made from the juice of berries or fruits, contains various vitamins (although some of them are destroyed during cooking), quenches thirst well, increases body tone and appetite. Morse is prepared from different berries: cranberries, lingonberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants, raspberries. It can be offered to the baby in the third year of life. To introduce young children to this drink for the first time, it is better to prepare a fruit drink from one type of berry. Industrially produced fruit drinks are mainly allowed for children over 3–4 years of age. They are often a mixture of juices of several types of berries and water, so you can offer such a drink to your baby if he is not allergic to the components included in its composition.

You can prepare fruit juice at home yourself. To do this, you need to sort the berries, wash them and squeeze the juice out of them using a fine sieve or gauze. The remaining pomace should be poured with hot water, add a little sugar and boil for 10-12 minutes after boiling, then strain. The strained broth should be mixed with the previously obtained juice. Morse is usually drunk chilled.

Kissel

Homemade jelly from fresh or frozen berries and fruits can be given to your baby after 1 year. Industrially produced jelly (in packs) contains a large amount of dyes and sweeteners, so it can be given to a child no earlier than 3 years old. In order to make jelly yourself, you will need fresh or frozen berries and potato starch. The berries must be sorted, washed with hot water, mashed and squeezed out the juice through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. The pomace should be poured with hot water and boiled for 5 minutes, then strained. Pour potato starch, previously diluted in cooled boiled water, into the strained broth and, stirring, let it boil again, then add the previously squeezed juice. For 1 cup of berries, take 2 tablespoons of potato starch.

Mineral water

It is divided into two categories - dining and medical. Medicinal mineral water contains many different salts and is intended for the treatment of certain diseases. This water should not be drunk without a doctor's prescription. Table mineral water is weakly mineralized and does not have a therapeutic effect. The main important elements in mineral water are calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron. Table mineral water can be offered to children after 1 year. To remove gas bubbles from the mineral water, simply pour the required volume of water into a cup and let it sit for 20–30 minutes; you can stir the water in a glass with a spoon - and everything will happen faster.

Soda

Sugary carbonated drinks are not recommended for children under 3 years of age. Soda contains many preservatives, flavors and dyes that can cause allergies in a child. Such drinks also contain a lot of sugar or sugar substitutes, which contribute to the development of tooth decay. Finally, carbon dioxide contained in carbonated water causes belching and bloating.

Cocoa

As a hot drink, a child over 2–3 years old can be given cocoa no more than 3 times a week. It is best to offer your baby cocoa with milk for breakfast or afternoon. Cocoa powder is rich in protein, fiber and vitamins. It contains many useful microelements such as zinc and iron, folic acid. Cocoa is a very healthy drink for children with underweight, as it is a high-calorie product. The recommended amount of cocoa for young children is no more than 50 ml per day.

Coffee drinks

Another hot drink is coffee. Instant coffee is strictly contraindicated for children under 13–14 years of age. Coffee is known to contain caffeine, which has a stimulating effect on the nervous system. In a baby, this can lead to overexcitability, moodiness, neuroses, and sleep disturbances. Children can be given a coffee drink that does not contain caffeine. It may contain chicory, extracts of rye, barley, oats, and rose hips. These products are completely safe for the baby and very rarely cause allergies. In addition, they have beneficial properties. Chicory increases appetite and regulates metabolism. In addition, chicory contains various mineral elements and vitamins A, E, B1, B12. Rosehip helps strengthen the immune system, and barley and oat extracts improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. A coffee drink diluted with milk can be given to a child over 2 years of age to try.

When choosing a coffee drink, you need to carefully study the packaging. Sometimes it may contain a small percentage of natural coffee. It is better not to offer such drinks to your child.

Drinking regime in the heat

Particular attention should be paid to the drinking regime in hot weather, when the baby sweats a lot and loses a lot of fluid. Children's fluid reserves are used up faster, since water metabolism is more intense than in adults. Babies have an imperfect thermoregulation system, so they easily overheat. On hot days, it is necessary to carefully monitor the condition of the baby (due to possible dehydration) and give the child water more often, even if he does not ask.

The main symptoms of excessive fluid loss (dehydration) of the body are: lethargy; drowsiness; weakness; dry mucous membranes; decreased number of urinations (less than 6 times a day).

To prevent dehydration, breastfed babies just need to be put to the breast more often. It is advisable for “artificial” children to be offered cool drinks every 15–20 minutes. Ordinary drinking water at room temperature, non-carbonated mineral water, and unsweetened children's tea are suitable drinks.

For older children, you can offer non-carbonated mineral water, diluted juice, unsweetened compote, or children's kefir as a drink. The drink should not be sweet, since sweet drinks do not quench thirst well and the baby will soon want to drink again. It is also important to remember that on hot days it is not recommended to drink cold drinks, because due to the sharp temperature difference you can catch a cold.

Drinks should be at room temperature or slightly chilled.

It is very important to maintain a drinking regime for a child, since water and various drinks are an important part of his daily diet. Improper drinking regime can lead to water-electrolyte imbalance, constipation, and disruption of the baby’s gastrointestinal tract.