Babies are very young and have weak immune systems, so their ability to absorb food is not very thorough. Parenting experts advise that mothers should be careful when feeding babies under 1 year old, as there are many things that babies cannot eat.
1. Fish with high mercury content
Mercury mainly accumulates in the organic form of methylmercury in the food chain, especially in fish. Methylmercury can potentially affect the human nervous system, and pregnant women, fetuses, and infants are more susceptible to its effects.
When choosing fish, it is important to avoid eating large fish or other fish with high mercury content, including sharks, swordfish, marlins, catfish, tilapia, and tuna, especially bigeye tuna and bluefin tuna.
2. Refined grains
Grains and starchy foods are easy to digest and absorb, and are less likely to cause allergies. Many parents choose rice flour, porridge, and other grains and starchy foods as supplementary food for their babies, which is correct. However, some parents who are overly concerned about nutrition often make the mistake of choosing refined grains. In fact, refined grains have reduced vitamin content, especially a decrease in B vitamins, which can affect the development of the baby's nervous system. Additionally, the loss of chromium can affect visual development and become a major cause of myopia.
3. Egg whites
The protein molecules in egg whites are small and can sometimes pass through the intestinal wall directly into the baby's bloodstream. This can cause allergic reactions to foreign protein molecules in the baby's body, leading to conditions such as eczema and hives. Egg whites should only be given to babies when they are one year old.
4. Seafood
Shellfish such as crabs and shrimp can cause allergic reactions in babies, so it is also not recommended to feed them to babies before the age of 1.
