For a long time, pediatricians advised young mothers to supplement their baby's nutrition until three months. Now experts say that you should not get carried away with additional drinks if the child receives enough breast milk or artificial milk formula. Of course, in hot weather, in order to prevent dehydration, the baby is given plain water. If your baby has health problems (nervous disorders, various forms of constipation or diarrhea, high fever, painful colic), you need to think about a tea supplement. Tea for infants is used more often for medicinal purposes; you should not give your child black tea, which has a stimulating effect, or green tea, which causes stool upset.
Tea for infants: harm or benefit
Tea contains many useful substances: fluorine, caffeine, zinc, they are necessary for the normal development of a child, but it is contraindicated for infants. At what age can children be given the drink? If the tea is not strong, with the addition of cream or milk, then not earlier than the child reaches a year, or even a year and a half.
And then, you need to follow some precautions:
- give a cup of drink no later than five o’clock in the evening so that the tea cannot disturb the baby’s sleep;
- It is better not to add sugar to tea; if there is no allergy, it is better to use honey as a sweetener;
- tea should be warm, freshly prepared, weak. Never offer your child packaged tea with flavorings.
- Herbal tea can be given to the baby only after consultation with a pediatrician.
Tea can cause allergies in infants. This applies to cases if the mother herself drinks too strong black tea, and it passes through the milk to the baby, or the baby was given tea as complementary food. It is safer to use instant baby tea, fruit or herbal drink.
Children's tea to boost immunity
In order for your baby to grow up healthy, you need to strengthen his immunity from a very early age. This can be done in a variety of ways, but flower and herbal teas work better.
Tea can be prepared from the following plants:
- St. John's wort;
- chamomile;
- nettle;
- hawthorn;
- rose hip;
- Linden.
The off-season is suitable for drinking this drink, when viruses begin to become active, the weather becomes unstable, and children begin to get sick more often. A drink based on rosehip is very useful. It contains many active biological substances, vitamins, especially vitamin C.
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Tea for infants can be made from chamomile. Take one dosed packet of chamomile per glass of boiling water. The child should be given one teaspoon no more than six times a day. It is better to purchase chamomile at a pharmacy; do not use loose raw materials, since small particles can get into the bottle of the drink even with careful straining. Chamomile not only strengthens the immune system, but also has a calming and antimicrobial effect.
Tea with ginseng also strengthens the protective properties of the body in infants. Recommended for weakened children to increase resistance to colds and viruses.
Tea to improve sleep
There are restless children who often wake up at night, cry, and are capricious. During certain periods of their development, even completely calm children may have problems sleeping. Children's tea for infants will help improve the quality of sleep, as it has a mild sedative effect. The following herbs are most often included in the preparation of such teas:
- mint;
- Linden blossom;
- thyme;
- lemon balm;
- fennel;
- chamomile
Specialized teas that are sold in pharmacies and produced by leading manufacturers are suitable for infants. Herbal teas “Evening Tale” and “Calming for Children” are suitable.
From 4 months you can offer your baby Hipp tea. It contains only natural soothing ingredients and is produced without sugar. Taking this tea in the dosage indicated on the package will help ensure that the child gets a good night's sleep and will play during the day, laugh merrily and not be capricious.
The Soothing drink has proven itself well among young mothers. It gently calms the child, improves his mood, day and night sleep, and relieves excessive excitability.
Night tea “Babushkino Lukoshko” can be given to children starting from 3 months of age. This is a minty drink that has a calming effect. Starting from 6 months, the baby can be offered another tea from this manufacturer, which includes lemon balm, fennel and thyme.
How to choose the right formula for a newborn
For colic, the mixture is selected based on the reasons for its formation. If they are provoked by lactose deficiency or immunity to cow's milk protein, then it is advisable to use medicinal mixtures that are prescribed for constipation.
Nestogen Blend
It's hard to say what the best formula for newborns is for constipation. Here it is important to focus on the composition of the product and the characteristics of the baby’s body.
If you doubt your choice, consult your pediatrician; you cannot give such food to your child on your own, it can only worsen the situation.
Below is a list of baby foods that do not cause constipation:
- Nestozhen
. Recommended for children from their first birthday to six months. It contains vitamins, amino acids, iodine, iron and zinc. This mixture is as close as possible to breast milk. - Milupa
. Introduced into the diet of babies from the age of five months. Contains calcium and vitamins C and D. - Nutrilon
. This food can be given from the first day of life, and is especially recommended for those babies who have milk protein intolerance or diarrhea. The diet contains iron and iodine. Nutrilon for constipation is an ideal baby food option. - Bellakt
. The mixture is introduced into the diet from the moment the child is born, strengthens and improves the immune system. - Similak
. There are many positive reviews about Similak Premium for colic and constipation. It is an adapted product that does not contain palm oil. Promotes good intestinal function, improves mental development and vision, strengthens the immune system. - Frisov
. Recommended for children who have problems with digestion and stool. Hypoallergenic, healthy, easily digestible. It contains vitamins A, B and K, as well as nucleotides and a number of microelements.
Tea for children with gastrointestinal problems
The child’s gastrointestinal tract is not yet properly formed, so problems may periodically arise in the form of colic, constipation, and loose stools. Therefore, experts recommend introducing special tea into the diet of infants older than three months, which normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Laxative teas
For constipation, herbal preparations that include fennel or dill are most often used. A collection of thyme, chamomile and fennel is effective, as well as a collection of thyme, linden flowers and lemon balm.
You can make your own tea for newborns using fennel seeds. To do this, pour a glass of boiling water over a spoonful of fennel seeds (if you don’t have any, you can take dill seeds). Leave for an hour for the mixture to brew and cool. This drink is given to the child one spoon before feeding.
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It is not recommended to give laxatives to young children. It is better to limit yourself to herbal tea, which will have a gentle effect on intestinal motility, improve digestion, relieve flatulence, and help the child calm down.
If you have any doubts whether herbal tea is suitable for your child or whether it will help him, you can consult a doctor. The pharmacy will help you choose a special children's tea, which is recommended for use from infancy. You need to carefully study its composition, preparation rules, and dosage in order to prepare a healthy drink for your baby.
Teas for diarrhea
Loose stools can cause infection, so if a problem occurs, calling a doctor is mandatory. If the cause is indigestion or problems with the gastrointestinal tract, the following options for preparing drinks are allowed.
- Fennel seeds improve digestion, normalizing the process.
- Mint and lemon balm soothe.
- Mint and chamomile have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Any tea can be prepared by taking 1 teaspoon of herb per glass of water. You can give tea to your child after straining - 1 spoon before feeding.
Tea for flatulence and colic
Children under one year of age often suffer from colic. This is a natural process, but parents want to alleviate the child’s condition, because he pulls his legs up to his tummy, starts crying, and refuses to eat. Tea for infants against colic will help relieve spasms and remove gases from the body. Parents can prepare the drink themselves, maintaining the following proportions:
Mint leaves - 5 teaspoons
Dill seeds - 3 teaspoons
Raspberry leaves - 1 teaspoon
Series - 1 teaspoon
Chamomile - 2 teaspoons
Place the mixture in a paper bag or cardboard box and shake thoroughly to mix the herbs. A teaspoon of this mixture is brewed in a glass of boiling water. Then put on fire and boil for 5 minutes. After the broth has cooled completely, you need to strain it thoroughly. It is better to use several layers of gauze instead of a strainer. The child is given this tea one teaspoon at a time.
Milk formulas for constipation
Milk formulas for constipation should only be prescribed by the treating pediatrician, and on a strictly individual basis, taking into account the state of intestinal functions, the health and growth of the baby.
Today it is possible to purchase various special mixtures that promote regular bowel movements and normalize intestinal function.
Principles of diet correction in artificially-bred children
- the child must receive the mixture in the required quantity;
- Adapted formulas should be used for feeding;
- The diet of babies must necessarily include fermented milk products: first adapted, then fermented milk mixtures, starting from 7-9 months - baby yogurt and whole kefir;
- Complementary foods should be introduced in a timely manner and in accordance with the doctor’s recommendations.
Infant formulas with lactulose
The therapeutic effect of lactulose (lactose isomer) is as follows: lactulose enters the intestinal sections unchanged, where it serves as the starting product for lacto- and bifidobacteria, which produce fatty acids (butyric, propionic, acetic) during metabolism.
These acids irritate the intestinal receptors and activate its motor function. In addition, organic acids and unsplit lactulose create high osmotic pressure in the intestinal lumen, promoting softening of stool and painless bowel movements.
Formulas containing lactulose are recommended to be used in combination with an adapted milk formula in an amount of 1/2 until a pronounced therapeutic effect is achieved.
List of mixtures: Tema 2 (Russia), Samper-bifidus (Sweden), Agusha with lactulose (Russia).
Infant formulas with gum
They contain the polysaccharide galactomannan (gum), which increases the viscosity of mixtures and reduces the frequency of regurgitation. Along the way, the gum excites sensitive intestinal receptors, stimulating its peristalsis.
The mixture for regurgitation and constipation is indicated for use either partially as an addition to the regular mixture, or in full. The duration of the standard course is 20-30 days.
List of mixtures: Frisovom (Holland), Humana AR (Germany), Nutrilon (Holland), Nutrilak AR (Russia).
Infant formulas containing pre- and probiotics
Fermented milk mixtures enriched with prebiotics normalize infant stool, bringing it closer to the consistency of stool in babies who receive breast milk, increasing the number of bowel movements and reducing the density of stool.
They improve the absorption of zinc, calcium, and iron by the child's body, minimize the risk of allergic reactions, prevent dysbacteriosis and protect against possible intestinal infections.
The undoubted advantage of mixtures of this group is their ability to eliminate functional problems of the digestive tract - flatulence and colic, as well as improve the intestinal microflora.
List of mixtures:
- with lactobacilli: HiPP (Austria);
- with bifidobacteria: Agusha gold (Russia), NAN fermented milk and NAN 1 (Switzerland), Nutrilak fermented milk (Russia);
- with bifidobacteria and lactobacilli: NAS 2 (Switzerland), Agusha fermented milk (Russia).
