Supplementing yogurt for children under 1 year old: What you need to know

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Dr. Phan Nguyen Thanh Binh - Head of Nutrition - Dietetics Department - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology, Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.
Yogurt has high nutritional value, provides beneficial bacteria for the intestinal tract, helps support digestion and strengthens resistance. However, for children under 1 year old, when feeding, mothers should pay attention to some basic things.

1. Yogurt and its benefits for children

1.1 What is yogurt? Yogurt is a fermented product of various types of milk (fresh cow's milk, formula milk, goat's milk, breast milk, ...) with strains of beneficial bacteria for the gut (Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococus thermophilus). The most popular are industrial products of condensed yogurt and yogurt, which are fermented from fresh cow's milk after defatting and pasteurizing pathogenic bacteria by pasteurization method at 80-90 degrees Celsius.
1.2 Benefits of yogurt for children Nutritional supplements Yogurt has high nutritional value, providing a complete and balanced composition of protein (with many essential amino acids, especially lysine), sugar, and nutrients. protein, fat, minerals (especially calcium) and a variety of vitamins (especially vitamins of groups B and A).
Some types of yogurt also contain DHA - a long-chain unsaturated fat, which is effective in brain development and enhances vision for children.
Support digestion - improve intestinal flora Yogurt provides the body with a large amount of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifido Bacterium), which help protect the digestive system, enhance resistance.
Yogurt is very effective in re-establishing the balance of bacteria in the intestine for cases of damage to the intestinal bacteria (malnutrition, prolonged diarrhea, intestinal diseases or after treatment). antibiotic).

Yogurt is easy to digest, so it is especially suitable for the elderly, children, people who have just recovered from illness, and people with gastrointestinal diseases. Yogurt can help children reduce anorexia, constipation, diarrhea due to poor digestion-absorption.

2. From how many months can babies eat yogurt?

Children from 6 months old, when the digestive system has matured, is the best time to start weaning. Yogurt is classified as one of the healthiest and best foods, which can be used as a weaning food for babies right after 6 months of age. However, not all yogurt is suitable for the baby's digestive system, when you first get acquainted, you need to feed your baby in small amounts, so you should start with homemade yogurt from the types of milk your baby is using.

3. Give your child the right amount of yoghurt

Yogurt helps to add a lot of nutrients to children, but parents should give their children the right food and the right dose so that they can absorb enough nutrients the body needs.
Appropriate dosage according to age
The amount of yogurt children should eat per day is as follows:
- Children under 1 year old eat from 50-100ml
- Children 2 - 3 years old: 100-200ml
- From 3 years old and up Up: 200 - 300ml
How to eat
Do not give yogurt to children when hungry: eating yogurt when hungry causes children to have strong stomach contractions, highly acidic secretions easily destroy beneficial bacteria in yogurt , can cause digestive disorders, abdominal pain, stomach pain. It is advisable to give yogurt to your baby after a meal for about 30 minutes-2 hours or at night about 30 minutes before going to bed, which is beneficial in providing more nutrients and calcium for the body. Do not give your baby too cold yogurt, you should remove the yogurt from the refrigerator at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes or soak it in warm water, then mix to make the yogurt temperature even before giving it to your baby. eat. Do not use hot or add hot water to yogurt, it may reduce some nutrients and beneficial bacteria. Should clean baby's teeth after eating by yogurt and acidic substances, moreover bacteria The beneficial properties in yogurt are very active, so it is easy to damage tooth enamel, especially children's teeth. Should not be used with drugs, especially antibiotics and drugs containing sulfur amines because they can disrupt or kill beneficial bacteria in yogurt. Besides, parents also need to supplement their children with essential micro-minerals such as zinc, lysine, chromium, selenium, vitamin B1, ... to fully meet the nutritional needs of children. The addition of these essential vitamins also supports digestion, enhances nutrient absorption, improves anorexia, and helps children eat well. Parents can simultaneously apply dietary supplements and functional foods derived from nature for easy absorption. The most important thing is that improving your baby's symptoms often takes a long time. Combining many types of functional foods at the same time or changing many types in a short time can make the baby's digestive system unable to adapt and completely not good. Therefore, parents must be really patient with their children and regularly visit the website vimec.com to update useful baby care information.