Herbal tea has always been considered in Russia the surest remedy for all diseases, but they drank it just like that: to warm up, quench their thirst or while away the time. They also often brewed herbal tea for infants and gave it to very young children. Now many doctors are skeptical about this practice, considering it rather useless and unnecessary. Others, on the other hand, advocate the introduction of this drink into the diet of very young infants. That is why special children's teas are increasingly appearing on store shelves, and an increasing number of parents note their undoubted benefits for the crumbs.

So what herbs can you brew for a baby? What is the difference between "adult" tea from children? When can I give my child an herbal drink? Let's try to find answers to these and many other questions.

Why give a baby tea?

As a rule, tea for newborns is not given to quench thirst or an additional source of vitamins, but as a medicine. In the first three months of life, the baby may often be bothered by abdominal pain caused by intestinal colic. In such cases, one of the main (and safe) treatments is fennel or dill decoction.

Later, when the child begins to suffer from insomnia, parents can give him chamomile tea for babies or linden tea to calm the nerves and prepare for sleep.

But it is worth remembering that tea is not water, it contains many trace elements and substances that are undesirable for a baby in large quantities. That is why you should not independently prescribe such a treatment to a child, and even more so, you should not replace water with tea. Before introducing any herbal collection into the baby's diet, it is necessary to consult a doctor.



Herbs for babies and their benefits

Of course, babies are not allowed all herbs, but only some of the most harmless ones. The following plants can be brewed for children.

  1. Dill - it is great for colic and abdominal pain.
  2. Fennel - the famous "dill" water is made on its basis, which can be bought at the pharmacy. Fennel is a mild laxative and promotes gas in newborns.
  3. Cumin - eliminates bloating and fights intestinal colic.
  4. Chamomile makes a soothing tea that relieves stress and prepares you for sleep. In addition, chamomile infusion has a good effect on the activity of the baby's digestive tract.
  5. Linden - soothes and relaxes before bed. Also linden broth is used for colds, it acts as a mild antipyretic.
  6. Peppermint is an anti-cold and soothing drink. Mint also helps with bloating and flatulence.
  7. Raspberry - This plant is often included in vitamin teas.



At what age can a child be given tea?

Usually, on the packaging of ready-made children's fees, they write at what age this product is recommended. If you decide to use regular herbs, rather than ready-made tea, then remember a few rules.

  • Fennel tea and dill tea can be given as soon as the baby is one month old;
  • Chamomile infusion allowed from four months.
  • Soothing linden and lemon balm teas it is also best to leave until the baby is four months old.
  • Vitamin fees with berry leaves and fruit trees can be administered at 5-6 months.
  • Drink with mint and ginger do not give up to six months.

It is better not to give tea to newborns unless absolutely necessary. The introduction of this drink into the diet can be started from 4-6 months, that is, during the period of the introduction of the first complementary foods.

Can a child be given black or green tea?

All pediatricians and nutritionists give an unequivocal answer to this question: DO NOT! Black (like green) tea contains a lot of caffeine, but there are very few substances useful for the child's body. In addition, modern tea, as a rule, is of a rather mediocre quality, therefore, it is doubly unsafe to give it to a baby to drink.



Do-it-yourself fees for children

Despite the fact that many doctors forbid feeding babies with herbal drinks made from plants collected in the country, it does not always make sense to buy a ready-made collection. If you are confident in the ecological purity of herbs, then you can make a drink for your baby from them.

Soothing tea

Calming the baby after active games, as well as relieve stress, for example, from going to the doctor will help such a soothing collection:

  • lemon balm - 1 spoon;
  • lime blossom - 1 spoon;
  • chamomile - 1 spoon.

Pour the herbs with a glass of water and bring to a boil, but do not boil, but turn off the heat and leave the tea to infuse. It is best to give your baby such a drink before bedtime.

Chamomile tea

Chamomile can be given to the baby during an attack of colic, and when the child has a cold, and just to calm down and relax. Making chamomile tea for babies is very simple.

Pour one spoonful of inflorescences with a glass of hot water and leave for half an hour. Before giving the child an infusion, it must be diluted to a pale yellow color.

Tea for tummy pain

Tea for babies from colic can be prepared from both dill seed and fennel. You can make a mix by taking both plants in equal proportions.

Pour one tablespoon of fennel (or dill seed) with a glass of water and leave for about an hour. During this time, the drink will have time to cool down. You need to give a drink to your baby little by little - 1-2 tablespoons. It is advisable to do this before each feeding.



Popular brands of baby teas and their composition

If you do not trust the raw materials collected with your own hands, then in pharmacies and children's stores you will find whole shelves lined with children's teas. Most popular brands:

  • "Grandma's basket";
  • Hipp;
  • Fleur Alpine;
  • Heinz;
  • Humama;
  • Bebi Premium.

Teas from Fleur Alpine, Babushkino's Lukoshko and some Hipp products are sold in sachets, which is very convenient and allows you to quickly and easily brew the required dose. The composition of such fees includes only dried and milled herbs.

Instant teas from Humama, Heinz, Bebi Premium and Hipp. They are made in the form of light yellow granules and have a sweetish taste that the baby will surely like. These drinks often include:

  • lactose - natural milk sugar;
  • maltodextrin is a vegetable compound of sugar, glucose and oligosaccharides;
  • dextrose - or glucose - sugar extracted from the juices of certain berries;
  • sucrose is a sugar obtained from beets or cane.

All substances are obtained, as a rule, from plant materials and are not harmful to the child's body.

Instead of whole herbs in instant teas, extracts (sometimes essential oils) are used, which allows the mixture to dissolve in water without residue.

The most neutral option for babies is a drink with chamomile and fennel.

Conclusion

Herbal teas can be given to children from a month, but it is better to wait until the baby is six months old.

Remember that tea is not just a tasty drink and cannot be used as a source of liquid. All herbal preparations contain essential oils, extracts, trace elements that can negatively affect the health of the child. Therefore, before introducing crumbs of any tea drink into the diet, it is necessary to obtain a doctor's permission.

The children's diet begins to expand from about six months of age, and closer to a year and a half, many parents try to transfer their children to a common table, of course, with some restrictions. And if everything is clear with frankly harmful products, it is definitely not worth giving them to babies, but some food and drinks cause natural questions from parents. So, many have heard about the unique qualities of black tea. This drink, when used and prepared correctly, can provide significant health benefits. But can children drink tea? At what age can children already have black tea? And also we will answer the question: how to make tea for a child?

In order to understand at what age you can give your baby black tea, you first need to understand the features of such a drink. Do kids need the benefits of black tea?

Is tea good for babies?

So, black tea is a wonderful source of vigor and energy for a long period of time. However, as practice shows, kids are already full of strength. Excessive intake of stimulants can cause sleep disturbances. As a result of consumption of black tea, the baby may begin to suffer from insomnia, he will be agitated and agitated. That is why such a drink is definitely not suitable for children of the first years of life.

In the diet of babies, drinks are generally not designed to relieve thirst (with the exception of ordinary plain water). They play the role of nutrition and supply the body with all kinds of nutrients (dairy products, self-prepared juices with pulp, etc.). But tea does not have such functions.

Black tea contains tannins that can reduce appetite. This property of this drink can be useful for adults, but children do not need it.

How black tea can harm a child?

Pediatricians assure that it is better to introduce black tea into the diet of the crumbs later. The systematic use of such a drink leads to the accumulation of toxic substances in the body, which can pose a serious threat to the health of the baby. The child may be worried about:

Allergies of different types;

Excessive activity and excitability, he may become nervous and restless;

Disturbances in the quality of sleep, waking up at night and even nightmares are possible;

Violations of the full formation of the cerebral cortex;

Disturbances in the work of the cardiovascular system.

It should be borne in mind that the harm of black tea for children does not appear immediately. Negative consequences can accumulate and appear suddenly, over time, when it will be simply impossible to understand the cause of their occurrence.

When to give black tea to babies?

Of course, sooner or later, all children will get acquainted with aromatic black tea, which adults like. But in order for this acquaintance to be useful and safe, it is better not to rush. Young toddlers can only be given special teas for babies that do not contain caffeine, and the packaging of which contains exact information about the recommended age of consumption.

Ordinary black tea can be given to children little by little only from the age of three. Pediatricians say that only in this case it will be safe for babies.

At the same time, it is extremely important to introduce the child only to high-quality black tea purchased in a specialized store. It is better to refuse to use drinks, which contain all kinds of additional components. It is also advisable not to give your child tea in bags, because its composition raises many questions.

In order for the new drink not to harm the baby, of course, you need to brew it correctly. The finished drink should be weak and have a pleasant slightly bronze color.

It is best to give black tea to children only in the morning. At the same time, parents are advised at first to carefully monitor the state of the crumbs: whether he enjoys the new drink, and how such an innovation affects his behavior and general condition, whether it causes excessive activity or sleep problems. If suddenly the baby refuses to sleep during the day, it is advisable to exclude black tea from his diet for now. In the event that everything goes well, it is allowed to give the child a certain amount of a drink even after a nap.

How to make black tea for a child?

Of course, the strength of such a drink should be small. To prepare it, you need to take a glass of boiling water and half a teaspoon of tea leaves. Insist the prepared drink for no more than two to three minutes, then strain, cool and offer to the baby. A single dose at the beginning of acquaintance with tea should not exceed fifty milliliters, but over time, this volume can be increased to one hundred milliliters.

For children of early school age, stronger tea can be given. A single dosage of a flavored drink can be increased to a glass - two hundred milliliters.

Many pediatricians advise to dilute black tea for babies with milk. This will increase the usefulness of the drink and make it softer for the body. So, young babies can be given tea with milk, mixed in a 1: 1 ratio. For older children, the amount of milk can be slightly reduced. Milk is believed to help reduce the harmful effects of tea on the teeth, as well as neutralize the activity of tannins and oxalates.

If the baby has any health problems (especially in the neurological field), the advisability of using tea should be additionally discussed with the attending physician.

The modern medical literature states that newborn babies should not be given anything to drink if they are breastfed. On the other hand, manufacturers offer special teas for babies. How not to get confused? Can I give my baby tea and from what month?

Indeed, it is not recommended to give water to newborns.

At the same time, it is worth considering that the neonatal period is considered from 1 to 22 days of life.

There is no need to give a baby tea or water to drink when:

  • The baby is exclusively breastfed. Mom has enough milk.
  • The room where the baby lives is not hot, there is a sufficient level of air humidity.
  • The baby is healthy (no vomiting, diarrhea, high fever).
  • The doctor did not prescribe to supplement the baby for certain indications.

In this case, children up to a month can not be watered. After all, additional drinking is needed when the body pathologically loses fluid, which threatens dehydration.

What to drink

From 1 month old baby, you can brew special herbs that are sold at the pharmacy. Tea with fennel and chamomile is widely used for children. Each of which has beneficial properties.

To quench their thirst, children can be offered boiled water cooled to body temperature.

Whatever you decide to give the baby to drink, do not give him hot or too cold drink. Any liquid whose temperature is equal to body temperature will be absorbed faster into the walls of the stomach than cold. This is especially important if you need to water the child in order to prevent dehydration, vomiting, high temperature, etc.

For what

Tea for babies, like just water, can be given, not only when there is a problem of pathological fluid loss.

Fennel tea is an excellent colic remedy.

Chamomile has sedative, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial properties. Often doctors advise giving this infusion for ARVI, when there are problems with the tummy.

Boiled water, tea with fennel, chamomile can and should be given to a child with constipation. Since their common cause lies in fluid deficiency. Often bottle-fed babies suffer from constipation. They should be given additional liquid in the form of tea with chamomile, fennel or just boiled water without fail.

How to make a drink

If you purchased tea from a pharmacy, the package contains instructions for its use. You should not buy herb from grandmothers at the bus stop, as you cannot be sure of its quality, where it was collected.

Pour boiling water over a small amount of fennel or chamomile herb, let it brew, cool to a temperature equal to body temperature. Actually, that's all - you can give it to the baby.

Sugar enhances the processes of putrefaction in the intestines and creates a favorable environment for the development of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines. Sweet tea increases colic.

Contraindications

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to apply a seemingly “safe” herb for children with individual intolerance.

Hypoallergenic tea, contrary to the label on the package, can provoke an allergic reaction. In this case, you should not give it to the child for some time, use antihistamines prescribed by the doctor.

If your baby has a tummy ache

Tea with fennel or chamomile can help ease colic. However, you should not try to get the child drunk during the next attack. The extra liquid in the stomach will put even more pressure on the walls of the digestive system and increase pain.

Knowing that your baby suffers from related tummy problems, be it constipation or colic, it is necessary to prevent them.

It is for preventive purposes that you can brew tea with chamomile or fennel and give it to your child throughout the day. In addition, the baby must be laid out on the tummy before feeding. Children burp after eating, do not shake, wear in a column for 20-30 minutes.

Precautionary measures

If you decide to give your baby fennel tea to prevent colic, be sure to check with your doctor first. You do not need to treat the child yourself. After all, the tummy problem is very broad and far from trivial. The doctor should definitely examine the baby who, as you think, suffers from gas workers. And only after the diagnosis has been established, it is necessary to start treatment and prevention.

Any allergy to tea made with chamomile, fennel, or other herb means that it should not be given to a particular child. They can be replaced with another herb. And what exactly - the doctor will tell you again. Any herbs have their own contraindications, which you may not even suspect.

We described chamomile and fennel herb in the article, since their benefits significantly exceed the risks of adverse reactions, they are often used to prepare tea for babies from the first month.

Toning drinks were used from Ancient Rus to Ancient Egypt. Decoctions, differing in taste, were drunk by the Slavs, Incas, Indians, Vikings, pharaohs, shamans, samurai and monks, endowing tea with truly magical and healing properties.

Legends and myths were written about him.

And what about the modern world: at what age can a child have tea? How to introduce tea into complementary foods? We will talk about this in today's article.

The benefits of tea

Tea is a drink with a huge list of medicinal qualities. It contains over 300 chemical compounds such as alkaloids, tannins and organic substances, vitamins, esters and amino acids.

Some of them are found only in tea.

Drinking a properly brewed drink in moderation:

  • normalizes the work of the heart, blood pressure, digestion and has a beneficial effect on the work of the digestive tract in general;
  • treats typhoid fever and intestinal disorders;
  • possesses bactericidal and adsorbing properties;
  • strengthens blood vessels and capillaries;
  • improves blood quality;
  • restores the liver;
  • lowers bad cholesterol;
  • acts as a tonic and diaphoretic for colds;
  • stimulates the genitourinary, nervous system and kidneys;
  • removes radioactive substances;
  • improves metabolism;
  • strengthens the immune system;
  • relieves migraines and fatigue, improves thinking.

The list is endless, but what effect does tea have on a child's body and at what age can it be given to a child.

The harm of tea for children

The benefits of this drink for an adult are obvious, but up to a year the body has an increased sensitivity to any new foods and liquids, so it is recommended to be careful with juices for up to a year, but what about tea?

The substances that make up tea can be bad for children's health:

  1. Tannin prevents the formation of vitamin D and the absorption of iron, which in turn leads to a decrease in hemoglobin and rickets;
  2. Oxalic acid provokes the development of caries on fragile children's enamel and leads to darkening of milk teeth;
  3. Purine participates in the formation of uric acid, which affects the increased work of the kidneys and the accumulation of harmful salts

In addition, tonic drinks, which include tea:

  • can provoke the occurrence of allergic reactions;
  • disrupts sleep, up to nightmares (read the article on this issue: Why do children sleep badly? >>>);
  • acts too exciting and leads to hyperactivity;
  • increases heart rate;
  • impairs memory.

Until a year, it is better to refrain from adding tea to complementary foods. The main drink for a child under one year old is plain clean water.

A sense of proportion is the key to success

A tonic drink is useful for both adults and children, but everything needs a reasonable approach and a sense of proportion.

Until now, tea, be it black, green, red or yellow, is drunk all over the world, but the statements as to the age at which a child can have tea are different.

  1. If the older generations began to introduce any complementary foods very early, now it is scientifically justified to introduce complementary foods to children only after 6 months. And tonic drinks are recommended to be introduced as late as possible;
  1. Around 1 year old, you can give tea to a child, weakly diluted. This means that the drink should be light golden in color, but not dark and odorous in any way;
  2. Green tea has a huge content of tannin and thein, so it is better to postpone acquaintance with it until 3-4 years;
  3. Black tea should be given no later than 5 pm
  4. In any case, you should start with 1 teaspoon, observing the reaction of the body. If there is no allergy or other negative consequences, the dose can be increased to:
  • 50 ml up to 4 times a week from 2 years old;
  • 100 ml every other day after 3 years;
  • 200 ml of beverage brewed in the usual way after 6 years.

Teas with additives

In folk medicine, teas with honey, mint, and lemon are also widely used. However, there are limitations here:

  1. Peppermint from a well-known sedative can easily turn into an aphrodisiac drink;
  2. Honey and citrus fruits are considered strong allergens;
  3. Herbs like chamomile are also not suitable for all children.

Moreover, this also applies to the known granular instant teas. The same fennel tea recommended from the month and the common "Hippie" teas that many people buy from birth.

Remember! A baby under 6 months old does not need additional water or tea.

Any teas offered to an infant can negatively affect the formation of gastrointestinal microflora and lead to allergic reactions.

  • Children over a year can be given tea, teas with additives quench their thirst and have a healing effect;
  • Tea with honey can be used for children with colds and to improve immunity;
  • Chamomile teas fight well against dysbiosis and throat infections (by the way, read the article How to protect a child from colds >>>);
  • Lemon tea can be given to a child after two years to replenish vitamin C. Lemon tea is also indicated for the treatment and prevention of influenza and ARVI;

Lemon itself can be started to be introduced into complementary foods from 9-11 months (read the useful article

From the very first days of their life, babies need not only regular feeding, but also adherence to the drinking regime. Until a certain age, the balance of water in the child's body can be replenished with breast milk, but in the process of growing up, you will have to introduce other fluids into the baby's diet. If the use of pure water, juices and fruit drinks does not cause doubts among parents, then the question - at what age can a child be given tea, gives rise to significant controversy.

Properties of tea and its effect on the child

This drink has been considered healing since ancient times and is of great benefit for an adult. But, before you start giving your child tea, you need to find out how these beneficial properties can affect the child's body.

Properties:

  • An invigorating effect that energizes the nervous system. If for an adult this means an increase in efficiency and the appearance of energy, then a one-year-old baby will result in sleep disturbance and tearfulness.
  • Helps to quench thirst. However, it is important for infants that the drinks are nutritious as well.
  • The tannins included in the composition dull appetite, which adversely affects the baby's body, which needs to eat well and grow.
  • Purine bases provoke an increased production of uric acid, which puts a greater strain on the kidneys of the child.
  • Oxalic acid has the ability to bind calcium in the body, which can lead to tooth decay and inhibit the development of the skeletal system.
  • Theine slows down the absorption of vitamin D and can lead to the development of rickets

Of course, tea contains many trace elements, as well as vitamins C and B, but since the child's body is very sensitive and can react sharply to new components, doctors recommend starting to introduce tea into the baby's diet only from a certain age and in acceptable amounts.

The harm of tea can manifest itself in the following:

  • Development of allergic reactions.
  • Lack of concentration.
  • Sleep disturbance.
  • Hyperactivity and tearfulness.
  • May lead to the development of cardiovascular disease.

Tea varieties in the children's diet

The variety of teas makes you wonder what varieties are best to start with. It is the different concentration of active substances that determines when a type of tea can be introduced into the child's diet.

Of the adult drinks, black tea is more preferable for a child.

Its leaves are most processed. In small quantities, it will even be useful for a child in the morning, as it tones up the muscles well. Of course, black tea should be free of artificial additives and flavors. Sugar should also be discarded.

But the answer to the question whether children can use green tea will be negative. A high concentration of tannin, essential oils, caffeine can negatively affect the baby's body. If a child has problems with the digestive system, then it is better to postpone acquaintance with green tea until a later period.

Hibiscus is allowed for children, but from the age of three. It does not give a pronounced tonic effect, but it contains many vitamins that support the immune system. However, we must not forget that hibiscus can cause an allergic reaction.

The modern market offers to purchase specialized tea for children made from natural herbs. For example, the trade marks "Babushkino Lukoshko" and "Hipp" produce a wide range of teas for any age. Such drinks are safe and are weak decoctions, used not only to quench thirst, but also as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent.

On sale there are soothing (mint), tonic (based on St. John's wort and cumin), anti-inflammatory (chamomile, lime) children's drinks. Especially popular with parents are fennel and dill teas, which help to solve the problem of colic and indigestion.


Moreover, the packaging always indicates how many months tea can be given to the child.

When to introduce into the diet

Parents, first of all, are interested in how many months a child can be given tea. For newborn babies, such drinks can be introduced into the diet only after consulting a pediatrician.

From the first month of life, you can try to give fennel tea - it has a beneficial effect on the child's digestive tract and helps fight colic. However, a month-old baby should start testing with a teaspoon in order to track the baby's reaction to a new product.

From the 4th month, it is allowed to introduce chamomile and linden tea into the diet - they well replenish the fluid balance, normalize sleep and have an anti-inflammatory effect. But from the fifth month, the baby can be given mint tea, which has a beneficial effect on the baby's nervous system.

From the age of two, pediatricians are allowed to brew black tea for children, provided that the drink is not strong. But acquaintance with the green variety is better to postpone until 10 years, since the high content of caffeine, tannin and tannins is contraindicated for the child's body.

How to brew

If you allow your child to drink tea, make sure that the drink is weakly brewed. For 200 ml of water, take half a teaspoon of the tea leaves. Insist infusion for no more than three minutes, as the tea infusion contains a high concentration of essential substances. The tea must be cooled to room temperature before serving.

Consumption rates

  • At the age of 2 years, a weak infusion is given up to 4 times a week, and a portion is no more than 50 ml.
  • From 3 years old, a single serving can be increased to 100 ml.
  • For older children, the infusion can be brewed stronger and given 200 ml of tea at a time.
  • To brew a drink for your child, use unflavored leaf tea, not sachets.
  • The tea must be freshly brewed; it must not be diluted with previously prepared infusions.
  • Any new tea should be introduced gradually into the diet. Start with half a teaspoon and follow your baby's reaction.
  • Such a tonic drink is suitable only for the first half of the day, and it is strictly forbidden to give it before bedtime.
  • You can not give a baby tea at a temperature and digestive disorders.

Having figured out the basic issues of drinking tea in childhood, you no longer have to rack your brains - when and which drink is preferable.