Can I give tea to small children? When and what teas can you start giving? Is it possible for children to have black tea What kind of tea to give a child at 2 years old.
Tea is a drink popular in many families, which has a tonic effect, perfectly quenches thirst. Adults can drink it in reasonable amounts with virtually no restrictions. Pediatricians recommend giving ordinary boiled water, diluted fruit and vegetable juices for drinking to infants and young children. In order not to harm the child's body, you need to know at what age you can give tea to a baby, how to brew it correctly.
Black, green or herbal tea invigorates the body, gives an adult a boost of energy for a long time. It quenches thirst well. Other positive properties of a fragrant drink are also known:
- reduces appetite due to the presence of tannins;
- normalizes metabolism;
- strengthens the immune system;
- contains minerals (zinc, fluorine, magnesium and potassium), vitamin C, B vitamins, antioxidants;
- helps eliminate the effects of diarrhea, restore water balance;
- relieves puffiness;
- prevents the formation of kidney stones.
On a note. With the addition of honey, lemon, berries and herbs, tea acquires medicinal properties, helps fight insomnia, colds, fatigue and stress.
Harmful properties
The question of how many months you can give tea to a child is not in vain that worries many mothers and grandmothers. At an early age, this drink easily causes hyperactivity, insomnia, excitability and heart palpitations in children. It can cause allergies, nightmares, and involuntary urination.
Another disadvantage is the ability of tea leaves to stain tooth enamel. Any tea often provokes anemia in babies, memory impairment and the deposition of harmful salts in the body. That is why pediatricians do not advise giving a drink to infants up to a year old, and in the presence of diseases - to older children.
When can you give tea to your baby?
Real freshly brewed black tea in its usual sense is not recommended for children under 1.5-2 years old, green tea is prohibited until the age of ten due to the high content of caffeine and tannin. There are also special children's collections containing vitamins, extracts of herbs and berries. This tea is suitable for children from 1 month. It may contain mint, cumin, fennel, vitamins C and B. Such fees are called "gastric", they eliminate problems with the digestive system of babies: constipation, bloating, colic.
With allergies or a cold, you can brew tea for infants from the age of 1 month, containing chamomile in the composition. The plant has an anti-inflammatory effect. From 4 months, it is allowed to give babies a brewed collection based on lemon balm and linden to calm them down.
On a note. It is allowed to add a mixture of several herbs to herbal tea for a child of 6 months, the dosage should start with 1-2 teaspoons to prevent allergies.
Brewing rules
Only black tea, containing the least amount of tannin and theine, can be brewed for a child. With red and green it is better to wait a little. Here are a few rules to follow.
- It is forbidden to brew tea bags for a child due to the presence of additives and harmful impurities. They can cause allergies, diarrhea, indigestion.
- Half a teaspoon of tea leaves should be poured with a glass of hot boiling water so that the drink is not too strong. It should be insisted for 2-3 minutes, then it is recommended to strain through a sieve.
- Each time you need to take fresh tea leaves, as harmful formations appear in the standing liquid. It is desirable that the drink be weak, warm, light brown in color.
- It is allowed to give the baby a brewed invigorating collection in the morning, and an herbal one before bedtime, for a calming effect.
Types of children's tea
All children's types of tea are divided into two groups.
Therapeutic and prophylactic. They have a sedative effect, help with stool disorder, excitability and restless sleep. Contain anise, chamomile, fennel, mint.
Preventive. Strengthen the immune system, contain vitamins, extracts of plants, herbs and berries - rose hips, black currants, lingonberries, raspberries.
On a note. Popular among mothers are the collections "Babushkino Lukoshko", "Bayushki-bayu", granular compositions of the Hipp brand. They include thyme, raspberry, linden blossom, fruits and herbs that have a different effect on the children's body.
Sheet
Leafy herbal preparations are prescribed for teething, abdominal pain, bad dream or restless behavior of the infant. They have a calming effect, help fight colds. It is possible to give such drinks to children on a regular basis only from 3 years.
You can independently collect and brew with boiling water the leaves of currant, cranberry, mint, lingonberry, chamomile flowers, calendula. All parts of plants should be dried, crushed, stored in a dry, dark place. If desired, it is easier to buy ready-made formulations in a pharmacy.
Green
The properties of green tea have not been fully studied by scientists, so pediatricians advise against giving it to children under 3-5 years old. The drink is able to have a strong tonic effect on the fragile children's psyche, lead to gastric disorders due to the high content of essential oils in the composition.
Black
It is considered the most harmless, allowed to be taken from 4 months with the addition of a small amount of tea leaves, the absence of sugar, flavorings. Breastfed newborns are given a drink after a year, while artificially fed babies begin to inject a teaspoon from 2-3 months in the absence of contraindications.
Permissible rate for children
Having studied how many months you can give tea to a baby, do not forget about the allowed dosages.
- Up to 3 years, it is recommended to drink it not every day, but only 3 times a week. The volume should not exceed a third of a glass per day.
- Children 3-6 years old are allowed to drink 100 ml daily.
- After the age of seven, you can increase the strength by pouring a teaspoon of tea leaves with 200 ml of water per serving.
Contraindications
Contraindications for admission in childhood are:
- hypersensitivity to caffeine;
- food allergy;
- individual intolerance to the components of the welding;
- hyperactivity;
- diseases gastrointestinal tract(gastritis, ulcer);
- prolonged insomnia;
- elevated temperature;
- kidney disease;
- age up to 3 years.
Popular tea recipes with additives
Introducing supplemented liquids into your child's diet can be beneficial, but there are a few simple rules to follow:
- do not add blueberries, citrus fruits, which are considered strong allergens, when brewing;
- exclude varieties with flavorings, dyes, such as mate, puer, hibiscus;
- be sure to consult a pediatrician before administering the supplement;
- if allergic reactions occur, immediately stop taking.
Milk
It is allowed to enter at preschool and school age children from 2-3 years. Initially, you should use a mixture of 1 part milk and 1 part weakly brewed tea, after getting used to, you can pour liquids in any amount. Boiled milk neutralizes tannins and oxalates, prevents the teeth from turning dark.
Ginger
Ginger drink normalizes digestion, helps with nausea, dizziness, colds and rhinitis. It helps to strengthen the immune system, more rapid relief from cough. To prepare, grind a piece of ginger root 2-3 cm long, pour 0.5 liters of boiling water. Insist under the lid for an hour, in the absence of contraindications, add a little honey, a few drops of lemon juice.
Raspberry
This sweet berry improves appetite, has a beneficial effect on the child's digestive system, and helps fight fever during colds. For preparation, tea leaves are mixed with an arbitrary amount of dried or fresh raspberries, poured with boiling water and infused for about 10 minutes.
Thyme
Drink with thyme improves immunity, contains vitamins, minerals, organic acids and other useful substances. Upon reaching the age of two, they can be treated with ARVI, rhinitis, influenza in children. When brewing with boiling water, a teaspoon of crushed leaves is added to black tea leaves.
Lemon
Fragrant liquid with lemon acts as a prevention of any colds. A slice of lemon is added to ordinary weakly brewed, half-cooled tea, or a teaspoon of juice is squeezed out, sweetened with sugar or honey. You can introduce lemon into the diet only if the child is not allergic to citrus fruits.
- It is better to buy black tea for children in a specialized store, carefully studying the preparation technology and the expiration date on the package.
- There should not be any flavors, additional ingredients or fragrances in the composition.
- Packaged should be immediately put back on the shelf, only sheet, granular will do.
- Liquid should be introduced into the diet carefully, by a teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume of the cup.
- When brewing herbs, berries, pieces of fruit, it is worth monitoring the absence of an allergic reaction in the baby for several days.
- If the baby is feverish, it is impossible to give tea drinks - the temperature will rise even higher.
- It is necessary to drink fees warm: hot ones harm tooth enamel, cold ones are poorly absorbed.
Subject to all the rules of brewing and recommended dosages, it is possible to increase the resistance of the child's body to various infections, eliminate abdominal pain, and improve healthy sleep baby.
Ordinary black or green tea, which adults love, is not recommended for children under 3 years old. For kids, there are special drinks called tea drinks, created taking into account the developmental characteristics of the child's body. As a rule, these are herbal and fruit formulations enriched with safe additives.
Types of children's teas
If you look at the shelves of specialized stores, children's tea is presented in a huge assortment. Each manufacturer baby food offers several types of products different composition and for different age groups.
There are the following types of children's teas:
- medical;
- preventive;
- sedatives.
These are single-component and multi-component means. plant origin, created with the aim of solving relevant health problems for every age. Experts believe that it is possible to offer a herbal drink to children from 3-4 weeks of age. It should be a one-component product with a minimum amount of additives. Usually it is tea with fennel or chamomile. These herbs rarely cause allergies, have a pronounced positive effect on the body and do not have an unpleasant aftertaste.
Both fennel and chamomile are designed to relieve spasms in the stomach and intestines, facilitate the digestion of food and the process of bowel movement. They have a laxative effect. In parallel, they have a calming and anti-inflammatory effect. Relate to medicinal teas. The same group includes drinks with mucolytic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory action. They consist of leaves and fruits of raspberry, thyme, thyme, licorice root, sage, linden and other herbs.
To calm the baby, improve his sleep and reduce hyperexcitability, use teas with mint, lemon balm, chamomile.
Fennel seeds - the very first phytocomponent of baby food
A very wide group of drinks are prophylactic teas. They are usually designed to strengthen the immune system and increase the body's resistance to viruses and bacteria. They can be drunk regardless of the season of the year and for children over 1 year old. The composition of the fees may include rose hips, linden blossom, dried berries and other components.
Is it possible to make your own children's tea? If this is a monocomponent drink, then the difficulty can arise only with the determination of weight. On average, one filter bag can contain from 1 to 3 grams of tea. When cooking at home, it is better to take a smaller dosage and brew 100-150 ml hot water. The herbs that are used must be organic. They can be assembled independently away from the city and highways, or you can buy them at a pharmacy.
The simplest tea is dill water, which was used by our grandmothers. To prepare it, just pour the dill seeds with hot water and leave for 20 minutes. More complex teas with several components are best purchased in a store from a trusted manufacturer.
How to give herbal teas to children
Up to 3 weeks, except for breast milk or an adapted mixture, nothing can be given to the baby. The only exceptions are prescription medications. Further, with the maturation of problems with sleep and digestion, children's herbal tea with fennel is introduced. For the first time, the baby can be given no more than 2 tsp. warm drink once a day. If during the day there was no allergy, the child did not become irritable and there were no other changes in well-being, the dosage is increased and tea is offered 2-3 times a day before meals.
A month after the start of use, the volume of tea drunk per day can be the volume of one feeding. The drink must be brought to body temperature. Sugar and other sweeteners are not added. Each manufacturer accompanies any children's food product with detailed instructions. Its study is a must-read for parents.
In general, all teas that affect digestion and defecation are drunk before feeding. Preventive and sedative - after feeding. You can not give the child the same product for a long time. Required breaks. As a rule, they are done every 2 weeks for 5-10 days. Below is a description of the most popular products for babies in the domestic market.
Most Popular Brands
Children's herbal tea is represented by domestic and foreign products. These are granulated instant products and tea bags with a crushed composition. In addition to herbal ingredients, the product may contain the following additives, which are considered safe for babies:
- maltodextrin - a carbohydrate that provides slow and easy absorption of the drink through the child's digestive system, reduces the risk of allergies;
- dextrose, sucrose, glucose - a flavoring additive, which, according to some reports, can increase the risk of allergies and provoke fermentation processes in the intestines;
- lactose is a safe flavor enhancer, rarely causes allergies, not suitable for children with lactose intolerance;
- inulite - a probiotic supplement that improves bowel movements, used to prevent constipation;
- lemon acid- used as a preservative, can irritate the gastric mucosa;
- vitamin C - is part of teas for children from 6 months, can cause allergies.
Babushkino basket is the domestic leader in the production of baby food
Knowing the action of the main component and additional ones, you can choose the safest and most effective product for the child. The list of domestic tea manufacturers is made up of brands:
- Leros;
- Fitosha;
- Baby;
- Teas Krasnogorskleksredstva.
The products of the Babushkino bast basket brand are the most popular. The company offers teas for different age groups from birth to 2-3 years. The range includes drinks with fennel, chamomile, anise, lemon balm, rose hips, wild berries to combat infant colic, restless sleep, poor digestion, cough. For children from 1 month old, a drink in filter bags of fennel seeds is offered to stimulate the digestive glands, relieve spasms and facilitate defecation. Another product is, which is used as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic for digestive problems and SARS.
Of the multi-component teas from Babushkino basket, the following are presented:
- with chamomile, thyme and anise fruits from 4 months;
- peppermint from 4 months;
- with rose hips from 4 months;
- with mint, fennel and thyme from 5 months;
- with raspberries, apples and currants from 6 months.
The most popular product from the Krasnogorskleksredstva company is Evening Tale tea for a restful sleep. Designed for children from 6 months. The composition of the product includes soothing ingredients: mint leaves, lavender flowers, fennel fruits and anise. It is offered to the child in the evening before bedtime.
The drink Calm down from Fitoshi has a similar effect. This is a multi-component tea for children from 3 years old. The composition includes oregano, thyme, lemon balm, cherry fruits, currant leaves.
Bayu Bai tea from the Keys of Health has a mild sedative effect and improves sleep. Consists of linden and chamomile flowers, thyme and lemon balm herbs, valerian roots. Suitable for children from 2 years old.
Foreign leaders of children's food
The list of the most popular foreign baby food brands includes:
- Heinz;
- Hipp;
- Humana;
- Nutricia;
- semper.
The Hipp brand offers instant and bagged teas for babies from 1 month old. The range includes teas:
- with fennel for children from 1 month;
- with chamomile extract and dextrose for children from 4 months;
- with fennel extract and dextrose from 4 months;
- with lime blossom, chamomile and lemon balm extract from 4 months;
- with rosehip powder, raspberries, dextrose and sucrose from 5 months;
- with lemon balm extract and apple powder, dextrose and sucrose from 6 months;
- with orange and rosehip powder, apple slices, lemon balm, vitamin C, dextrose for children from 6 months;
- with forest berries from 6 months, etc.
A similar assortment with some differences is offered by other foreign brands, including Heinz and Humana. From the first days of life, you can give your child only soluble herbal tea from Plantex fennel from Slovenia. The rest are intended for children from 1 month and older. Which is better to prefer, what to stay on? This is a purely individual decision based on the susceptibility of the child's body. But most drinks are well tolerated by children, do not cause negative consequences and help to cope with infant problems.
It is important for children to get enough fluids every day. And if parents know about the benefits of ordinary water, fresh juices, homemade compotes or fruit drinks, then such a popular drink as tea is in doubt. Let's see if it is possible to give them a drink to a small child, at what age it is permissible to treat them to a baby, and how best to prepare this drink for children.
Arguments "for": a little about the benefits
Harm
Drinking tea in early childhood can have the following negative effects:
- Cause an allergic reaction.
- Provoke hyperactivity and hyperexcitability.
- Worsen sleep, cause insomnia and nightmares.
- Worse the work of the heart (increase heart rate).
- Poor effect on memory and attention.
- Provoke the appearance of anemia.
- Cause accumulation of uric acid salts.
- Bind calcium.
- Change the color of tooth enamel.
Adults will notice such effects only when consumed in excess every day, but a small amount of this drink can also adversely affect a child.
Are there any contraindications?
Tea should not be given to a child with:
- Hypersensitivity to caffeine.
- Gastritis or peptic ulcer.
- Elevated temperature.
- Insomnia.
- Kidney diseases.
Children's teas
All the properties and effects described above are typical for black tea, but in stores you will certainly see special teas designed for toddlers. These are products of brands Hipp, Babushkino basket, Humana, Heinz, Bebi and others. Some of them are soluble (represented by granules), while others are in sachets. All ingredients of this baby tea are safe for babies.
Usually this is not just a drink, but one of the remedies, since such children's tea has its own effect on the children's body:
- Dill or fennel - helps to eliminate intestinal colic and relieve pain in the tummy.
- Chamomile - promotes rapid falling asleep, gives an anti-inflammatory effect, improves digestion.
- Linden - favorably affects sleep and the functioning of the nervous system.
- Mint - will help calm the nervous system, relieve flatulence and bloating.
How many months can be introduced into the diet?
Babies are allowed to give only special tea intended for small children. The age at which it can be given to the baby is indicated on the packaging. Usually, fennel tea is given from 1 month, chamomile and linden - from 4 months, and vitamin with berries and fruits, as well as mint and ginger - from 5-6 months. Tea is not recommended for newborns, and the introduction of crumbs of any baby tea into the diet should first be discussed with the pediatrician.
Black tea is not recommended for babies under 2-3 years of age. After two years, the child can brew a weak drink and give it in limited quantities. Due to the high content of caffeine and tannin, acquaintance with green tea should be postponed until the age of 10-11. or even postpone the sample of such a drink to a later period.
How to brew?
The drink that the child will drink should be brewed very weakly. For 200 milliliters of boiled water, take half a teaspoon of tea leaves. Infuse the drink for a maximum of two to three minutes so that the concentration of active substances is low. After straining the tea, cool it to the desired temperature and offer the child.
Norms of use
- Children from 2 to 3 years old can be given weak black tea up to 4 times a week. A single serving of the drink is 50 ml.
- For babies older than 3 years to 6 years of age, a single serving of a weak drink can be increased to 100 ml.
- For children over seven years old, tea may already be stronger (take a teaspoon of raw materials for 200 ml of boiling water). One serving at this age is 200 ml.
Recipes and their benefits
With milk
Supplementation with milk is recommended for preschoolers and primary school children. Babies 2-3 years of age should dilute brewed tea with milk 50 to 50, and for children over 3 years old, milk is added to the drink in an arbitrary amount.
The added milk lowers the concentration of compounds harmful to the baby, and also neutralizes tannins and oxalates. In addition, milk prevents tea pigments from interacting with tooth enamel.
with ginger
Tea made from ginger normalizes digestion, helps with nausea, headache, runny nose, colds. He noted the property to strengthen the immune system and eliminate cough. For preparation, a piece of ginger root about 3-5 cm is peeled and cut or rubbed, after which it is poured with water brought to a boil (0.5 l). the drink should be infused for 30-60 minutes. In this tea, you can add sugar, honey, a slice of citrus.
With lemon
This tea is rich in vitamin C, so it is a wonderful prevention of colds. After preparing weak black tea, lower its temperature to 50 ° C, and then add a slice of lemon or a spoonful of lemon juice to the drink. You can sweeten it with honey or sugar.
With raspberries
This drink has a positive effect on the digestive system, as well as an antipyretic effect. Add dried, frozen or fresh raspberries to the tea leaves, brew with boiling water and let it brew for 10 minutes.
with thyme
Such tea supports the immune system, acts as a source of vitamins (group B, vitamin A, vitamin C) and mineral compounds, as well as organic acids, resins and other useful substances. it is recommended to cook for children over 2 years of age for the treatment of acute respiratory viral infections, cough, runny nose, flu.
To brew it, add a teaspoon of the dried plant to your black tea. This amount is enough for an average teapot. You can use this tea as a prevention of colds, however, like any other herbal teas, you can not drink it daily.
- If you are going to give your child black tea, buy it from a specialty store. It is best to take it without any additional ingredients.
- It is not worth brewing tea in a bag for a child, as its composition is questionable.
- Enter in children's menu any tea should be used with caution, as well as any other products unfamiliar to the child. For the first time, give your baby it for breakfast and watch the child's reaction for the rest of the day. If the drink has affected behavior and sleep, or caused any other negative effects, give it up for a while.
- Be especially careful with any herbal teas, as healing herbs the child may develop an allergic reaction.
- Hibiscus can be given to a child from 3 years of age. This drink has the ability to strengthen the immune system.
- Do not give tea to a child in the afternoon, because its stimulating effect can worsen falling asleep and sleep.
- Do not give it to a child with a fever, as the drink can further increase body temperature.
- Let the child drink it in a warm form, since a hot drink harms both the teeth and the stomach, and absorption is impaired in a cold one.
Always offer your baby a freshly brewed drink, since after an hour the concentration of nutrients in brewed tea decreases, and if the drink is heated, harmful compounds can form in it.
For information on when to give tea to a child, see Dr. Komarovsky's program.
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