Babies and Berries

When it comes to finding foods that your baby likes to eat, one of the foods that many parents choose to introduce into their baby’s diet is berries. Berries are a tasty treat for baby in many cases. Berries aren’t among the top allergenic foods, although there are some people who will have an allergic reaction to berries.

It used to be that experts recommended waiting until after your baby’s first birthday before letting her try berries. However, the American Association of Pediatricians now says that there is no reason, in most cases, to wait. Delaying the introduction of a potentially allergenic food doesn’t help prevent food allergies. That being said, if your baby has a strong family history that includes asthma or food allergies, you might want to talk to your doctor first.

When you introduce baby to berries, make sure you wait for a few days afterwards before you introduce another new food. This helps you know whether or not your baby is having an allergic reaction to the berries. You need to be aware of the signs of an allergic reaction to food, which can include:

  • Swollen tongue, face, or lips
  • Eczema or rash on the skin
  • Diarrhea or abdominal cramping
  • Wheezing
  • Vomiting

If your baby has these kinds of reactions, seek emergency help right away.

You also need to watch out for choking when giving baby berries. In particular, strawberries as well as blueberries tend to be the most common berries that present a choking danger. You should cut them into small pieces, or even puree them before feeding them to your baby. In addition, babies tend to slide a bit and baby will often swallow these whole. Berries should be cut into pieces about the size of a fingertip until your baby hits the age of three or so.

In some cases, babies can’t digest berry seeds very well, particularly when it comes to blackberries or raspberries. These may appear in your baby’s diaper, but it does not indicate a problem of any kind or any harm to your baby’s digestive tract.