Many adults like the sweet and fragrant persimmon, but can they be given to young children? In order not to harm the baby's health, before treating her to a baby, parents should learn more about the features of this fruit, the optimal age of introduction into the children's diet and other important nuances.
Benefit
- Persimmon acts as a source of carbohydrates, organic acids, natural fiber, tannins and many other useful compounds.
- This fruit will replenish the diet with minerals and vitamins in winter.
- Its use has a positive effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland, the condition of the vascular walls, the functioning of the kidneys and the immunity of the child.
- Due to the high content of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, it is important for the growth processes in the child's body and the maintenance of good vision.
- It contains a lot of iron, potassium, iodine, magnesium, calcium, manganese and other elements.
- This fruit is rich in vitamin C and routine, so consumption affects blood vessels, immune defenses and blood condition.
- The presence of natural sugars in the composition makes it useful for brain activity and performance.
- The fruit has a firming effect, so it helps relieve diarrhea.
Minuses
- Due to its astringent properties, if introduced too early into the children's diet, it can cause intestinal obstruction.
- Excessive consumption leads to constipation, especially if the fruits are not ripe enough (they are rich in tannin). This property determines the ban on the use of persimmons in the case when the child has a tendency to constipation.
- It is classified as a fairly strong allergens, so reactions to its introduction into the children's diet are quite common. This is the reason for introducing the baby to the fruit gradually, offering a small piece of the fruit first in the morning.
- Due to the large amount of easily digestible carbohydrates, it is contraindicated in diabetes.
- The simultaneous consumption of persimmon and milk causes diarrhea.
You will learn more about the benefits and dangers of this fruit from the program "Living Healthy".
From how many months can you introduce into complementary foods?
Giving persimmon to babies of the first year of life is not recommended.
Most experts advise including such fruit in the diet of children at least three years old, when the digestive system is ripe enough for normal digestion.
Some parents risk treating her with the sweet pulp of a 1-2-year-old child, but every mother should understand that the decision to give persimmon to a child under 3 years old can end up with problems with the digestive tract. If the baby already has gastrointestinal pathologies, it is not worth giving him fruit until he is five years old.
How to give?
Most often, persimmons are given to the child fresh, cutting the fruit into slices and peeling them. Also, this fruit can be used to make jelly, fruit salads and various desserts. It can be used as a filling for pancakes, sweet casseroles or pies.
Often, children are offered dried persimmons. Although the vitamin content decreases when dried, the product prepared in this way has less astringent effect.
Tips for choosing
Only ripe fruits are bought for baby food. They should be uniform in color, and there should be no damage, areas of decay or dark spots on the surface. Also do not buy overly soft fruits or fruits with dried skin. Before giving the acquired persimmon to the child, it must be thoroughly washed and cleaned.
What to do if you have an allergy?
Due to the presence of a fairly large amount of beta-carotene in the composition, which causes the bright orange color of the fruit, such fruits often cause an allergic reaction. After one or two servings, the child may develop a rash, redness, runny nose, swelling in the face, cough, or any other symptom of allergy.
In such a situation, the introduction of persimmons into the baby's diet is stopped and a doctor is consulted to advise an antihistamine suitable for age.
Find out if your child's weight is normal using the following calculator.
