At What Age Can Children Eat Chocolate?
How good is chocolate! For many it is even irresistible, especially for children. In fact, once tried, they can’t do without it anymore. But at what age can children eat chocolate? Let’s try to understand it together in this article.
Surely you have happened to eat a cake or a chocolate bar when suddenly, between one bite and the next, you realized that your child was looking at you. What do you do in these cases? Is it okay to give him some? Or does it hurt him?
At what age can children eat chocolate?
During the first few months of life, you will most likely have thought about giving your baby a taste of some chocolate. The temptation can be great, but it is good to reflect. In fact, it is advisable to wait until the baby is 12 or 14 months old to feed him the chocolate.
The first thing to do is ask your pediatrician what your baby can eat, especially when it comes to sweets. Chocolate can also be contraindicated for other reasons, such as allergies, food intolerances, etc.
Chocolate: yes or no?
Even if you are looking to pamper your baby with a new flavor, feeding him chocolate can cause him allergies or other health complications, especially at an early age. We know that chocolate is irresistible but in this case, avoiding it means being responsible.
Often mothers do not follow the advice of experts and feed too young children chocolate. Not noticing any immediate negative effects (other than diarrhea) they trust and believe they will not cause harm to the baby. But beware: sweets at such a young age can increase the likelihood of suffering from childhood diabetes.
During the first months of life, it is recommended to feed him only with mother’s milk. Then, as he grows, the pediatrician will tell you what other foods can be included in his diet.
Doctors advise not to give your baby chocolate until he is 12 months old. From this age up to the age of five, it is not recommended to give them more than 50 grams per day. This is because chocolate can cause digestive complications.
Why is it contraindicated?
Many doctors also advise breastfeeding mothers to avoid excessive consumption of chocolate, coffee, tea, and soft drinks. This is because they could reach the baby through milk and cause irritability and sleep problems.
Basically, the development of allergies in children is caused by the immaturity of their immune system. At this stage, the ingredients in the chocolate can be heavy to digest and can cause allergies.
If there are cases of allergies or digestive disorders in the family, it is advisable to wait up to 12 months to give it to your baby. Or in any case, to respect the time period suggested by the pediatrician. It is also not recommended to administer other foods that contain it. Less severe consequences can last for several days and can include diarrhea or constipation.
Always try to feed him foods that do not contain a large number of heavy to digest ingredients, such as milk, peanuts, wheat, gluten, soy, corn, or berries.
Among the most common symptoms are:
- Urticaria.
- Dyspnea.
- Shortness of breath.
- Asthma symptoms.
You may also notice:
- A runny nose.
- Frequent sneezing.
- Red or shiny eyes.
- Swelling of the mouth or throat.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
Better the dark
Dark chocolate varieties are generally the most recommended because they are low in sugar. So they are safer to consume. In any case, the amount of consumption indicated for healthy children from 2 to 5 years is a maximum of 50 grams per day.
Dark or not, it is very important to recognize some possible symptoms that may indicate an allergic reaction to any of its components. On the other hand, in addition to allergy to chocolate, it is important to avoid its intake because it contains a high content of caffeine.
Warning!
The recommended chocolate consumption for children should take place in the middle of the morning or during a snack. This is because it is a very energetic and caloric food, which should not be eaten next to a main meal.
In addition, many times chocolate contains more sugar and caffeine than cocoa, so it can cause the baby to stop or disturb sleep. Diabetic children, on the other hand, should not eat it under any circumstances.
