Strawberries are a potential high allergen food and as such, they really should be avoided until 12 months of age; avoid them longer if your family has a history of allergies.
Really depends on what allergy research you subscribe to as to whether you give strawbs or not. We have no history of allergies in our family and as such I haven't avoided any high allergen foods for Phoebe. It's personal choice.
Apple and carrot can be steamed or grated if you're worried about choking. In reality, if you are offering finger foods from day 1 then the risk of them choking on anything is much lower than if you are spooning food into their mouths. But again, you need to be comfortable so it's all about you choosing what's safe for your kid. Phoebe gagged a lot in the early days, even on banana and avocado. But gagging is different to choking and is normal.
If I were to warn against any fruit/veg, I would say don't go too hard on the banana. It is very sweet and can make them reluctant to try other things and it can also make them a bit constipated.
ETA: PMSL @ Lulu. I think sultanas are one of those amazing foods that seem to make it unscathed through the human digestive system. Natty's nappies often contained rehydrated sultanas, LOL! Tomato goop (sauce full of veges) looks the same going into Phoebe as it does coming out too.
I don't get it either. I'm just thankful that I don't have to worry about it, LOL. I haven't heard of anyone having anaphylactic reactions to strawberries or tomatoes but I know that for a lot of kids they cause hives. (That's anecdotal though!) Some research says that kids prone to allergies should be exposed to allergenic foods earlier. However as a parent I just couldn't see myself doing that if I had a history of allergic reactions in my family... It's a difficult decision for some.
As a general rule, introduce on new thing at a time, give a small portion and watch for a reaction. If your baby tolerates it ok (no rashes, redness around mouth, diahorrea, etc) then it's ok. I chose to use foods that were lower in natural food chemicals - like pear, mango, pumpkin, etc - and waited until she was a bit older to introduce things with strong flavours like berries.
It is now recommended that you don't delay the introductions of strawberries, or any other allergy foods, beyond the introduction of solids at 6 months. This is a recent change which is why there is so much confusion.
However, with strawberries, unless they are home-grown they are very high in pesticides so you might like to avoid them for that reason.
Registered User
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks