Rich In Nutrients, When Should Babies Start Eating Fish?

Illustration (Olekasandr Pidvalnyi/Pexels)

JAKARTA - Fish is a source of nutrition that is needed by children. The reason is, fish can help improve children's growth and development and build children's intelligence. No wonder nutrition experts advise parents to introduce fish to their children during solid food. Even during pregnancy, mothers are also asked to be diligent in consuming certain fish.

But Mom, launched from the Parents page, Wednesday, August 3, parents need to be very careful before giving fish intake to babies. Parents should know very well when he can start giving fish to babies and what types of fish are allowed to be given.

Research reveals that infants aged 0-6 months should be given exclusive breastfeeding. In a sense, the baby should be given food in the form of breast milk (Mother's Milk). When the baby is 6 months old, which is 7 months, it is time for him to be introduced to solid food. When introduced to solids, there are a variety of foods that can be given to babies. One of these foods is fish.

Quoting from the Baby Center page, according to The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), babies aged 6 months and over can be introduced to fish. With a note, the baby has been introduced to other foods such as vegetables, fruits, tubers, meat and the like.

Parents also need to be very careful when giving fish to babies. Pay attention to whether there is an allergic reaction in the baby when given fish. Some babies may develop allergies when given protein sources such as fish, eggs or nuts. When the baby has an allergic reaction, immediately stop giving him fish. Consult a doctor immediately if the allergies shown are severe or cause other symptoms besides rashes and itching on the skin.

Avoid feeding your child high-mercury fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel, or tilefish. Limit the amount of canned tuna to 3 to 6 ounces per week. You should also put off eating sushi until your child is older. Because a lot of bacteria that can appear in raw fish that can interfere with digestion.