6 Month Old and Strawberries

Updated on February 13, 2017
L.H. asks from Phoenix, AZ
16 answers

I gave my 6 month old daughter some pureed strawberries and she loved them, but after a few bites something went wrong and she started drooling a lot to the point that it kept coming and she started crying, was that an allergic reaction? She seems fine now after a bottle, but still drooling a bit. Her reaction reminded me of when I eat pineapple. She's sleeping now

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

My babies only had breast milk until they were a year old. I tried the baby cereal around 7 months old but they didn't like it. All nutrition comes from BM or formula any way at that age.

2 moms found this helpful

K.H.

answers from New York on

My son was about the same age when he got a weird rash around his mouth & when I took to have him tested he came back as allergic to strawberries (& shrimp but I knew he hadn't had any shrimp) ...strawberries are like somewhere around the top of my main fave fruit list and they are/we're always around?!

He's 13 now and has no problems eating them, just FYI.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Portland on

My granddaughter has seen an allergist since she was a baby. He said that strawberries should not be given to babies because they are a common allergen. I suggest you ask your pediatrician when foods should be introduced in babies diets.

I suggest she may have had that reaction because they caused her esophagus to itch and possibly to swell. It's likely to have been an allergic reaction. I would not give her any berries.

7 moms found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

The first thing you do is talk to your Dr.

Most Dr's do not recommended strawberries or other foods until the baby is older.

The first year is formula or bm and maybe some cereal is introduced around 4-6 months.

Start slowly with introducing foods. She's too young right now. You've got plenty of time!!!

My daughter had strawberries around 18 months and was allergic. It wasn't until she was about 5 that she could eat strawberries without a rash on her chin.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Well....I will refrain from saying a lot but here's the gist of it. Soapbox...

A 6 month old infant should be starting out on rice cereal mixed with a lot of formula. Why so thin? Because an infant doesn't know how to chew and swallow yet. They won't have that until they're older. A 6 month old infant shouldn't be eating table food at all. A 10 month old infant should be starting on table food but very very very little.

Why? Formula and breast milk are perfect. They have all the nutrients an infant needs. Formula has vitamins and additional chemicals and minerals that promote brain development.

Always give the bottle first. Especially until she's a little older. This way she is getting the nutrients she needs and not empty calories then she'll look like she's eating well but she will be starving for nutrients. So many moms think feeding the baby table food and baby food is good. I know it's hard to not give her all sorts of foods. She isn't ready, physically her tummy is just not up to processing these things you're giving her.

Baby food is flavored goo with a few vitamins put in it. It's not meant to be food, formula is her food. Baby food starts losing it's nutritional value as soon as it's put in the jar, when it sits on the shelf, when it sits in your cabinets, by the time it's put in the baby's mouth it has very little nutrition left in it.

The baby food or table food is to teach her to chew and swallow. Not give her all the nutrients she needs.

Basically her tummy will not digest this food you're giving her. She'll be starving for nutrients and you'll think she just wants more food, such a good eater!, but she will literally be starving for nutrition.

Please stop feeding your baby food until she's old enough.

3 moms found this helpful

D.B.

answers from Boston on

I agree with those who said to stop giving these for now. I'd also strongly suggest that you call the pediatrician's office (there's a 24/7 nurse line or pediatrician-on-call line) when something like this happens. And do please report it on Monday morning so it goes into her record. As time goes by, you may forget how old she was when this or some other episode happened, and it's good to have these things noted in her permanent record. A doctor might see a pattern that you don't.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.G.

answers from Portland on

I'm with Marda. I didn't introduce strawberries until a bit older.

I can eat strawberries now, but as a kid they used to kind of burn my mouth (tingly and sharp feeling). Is that what you get with eating pineapple? I get the same still if I eat pineapple. I outgrew the strawberry sensitivity. I don't think that's an allergy - but best to check with paediatrician.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

E.B.

answers from Honolulu on

Our ds (who is completely healthy) tried a simple homemade tomato sauce when he was a baby. We thought we'd give him a taste, but he loved it and begged for more and we were loving his reaction and fed him several spoonfuls. He was a big healthy baby and we just assumed it would be ok. But he got hives around his mouth, and drooled a lot, and seemed uncomfortable (although nothing too alarming - no swelling or trouble breathing or any of the severe allergic reactions). We took him to the doctor who explained that many babies can't handle acidic foods, like tomatoes, some fruits, etc. There's a good reason why baby foods are comprised of a pretty limited ingredient list.

It was a rookie first-time parent mistake and he quickly got over it and never had any other reactions, and has had no allergies ever.

So it was mostly an issue of feeding a too-young baby a too-acidic food. We should have have given him rice cereals, and plain yogurt, and baby-appropriate foods when he was ready. We did our homework and immediately stopped feeding him tastes of foods that an infant digestive system simply wasn't able to handle yet.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.♣.

answers from Springfield on

Has she been eating other foods, or is eating new to her? I ask because this is how my boys were in the beginning when they were first getting used to "eating." The tongue works very different for eating food vs nursing or drinking from a bottle. Lots of food took 2 or 3 tries to actually make it into the mouth and down the throat, rather than back out the mouth :-) It takes a lot of practice before baby can get it right without making a mess.

I would call the pediatrician. It's a good idea to double check, just in case.

1 mom found this helpful

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Thank’s for your question L..

Just as a reminder per Mamapedia Guidelines:

Medical questions may be asked, however, please know that the first and best source for the answers to all such questions will alway be an appropriate certified professional. Please always consult such a professional in these matters first and foremost. Mamapedia does not offer medical advice to our members, and any medical advice you receive on the site is taken at your own risk.

-Moderator

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Talk to your pediatrician about it and avoid strawberries for now.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

I don't know what the current recommendations are (my kids are almost teens) but my doctor said to start with all the veggies first one at a time, and then introduce fruits, but to avoid strawberries until they were over a year since they are one of the top allergy foods, along with eggs and nuts.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.R.

answers from Washington DC on

As AK mom says, strawberries are a common allergen. Your DD loved them but they're not for her, at least not for a long while yet. Watch her skin carefully -- my DD broke out in a rash the first time she ever tasted a strawberry (at about age 2) and that's how we knew she was allergic. Even if your DD is not really allergic, but just was reacting the fact strawberries are acidic, don't give them again. Kids often outgrow the allergy and also can outgrow sensitivities so in a few years talk to your doctor about possibly letting her try tiny amounts then, but it's not essential to have them ever.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D..

answers from Miami on

It's not an allergic reaction. There is tartness to strawberries, just like there is to pineapple. She's really too little for these kinds of fruits.

Another thing to know about strawberries is that people CAN develop an allergy to them. I did in my freshman year in college - I broke out in hives. Four years later I could eat them again, but I am careful not to eat them every day or too many at a time.

I would not give her strawberries again until she's around 2 years old.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.Z.

answers from Los Angeles on

It may or may not be an allergic reaction. With that said, allergy doesn't always show as hives or bumps on the skin. Sometimes, it can cause swelling and numbness of the tongue, which could then cause drooling (due to inability to swallow saliva). I've had this happen to me so I'm speaking from personal experience. I would consult a pediatrician before feeding her strawberries again.

Generally, the recommendations these days with regard to starting solids is that there is no certain order. You can start with anything -- fruits, veggies, or grains.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.H.

answers from Abilene on

I agree with others to not give her any more. I gave ours apples and pears for their first fruits. There are opinions all over the place about when to start feeding what. I am sure you checked with her doctor before starting solids.

One of the main things I fed mine was plain yogurt (full fat) and mashed avocados. When mine were babies avocado was highly recommended both for easy digestion and nutrient dense.

I would go back to the things you know she does well with. Also my doc recommended introducing only one new item every 3 weeks. That way there's no issue with identifying if there's a reaction.

Updated

I agree with others to not give her any more. I gave ours apples and pears for their first fruits. There are opinions all over the place about when to start feeding what. I am sure you checked with her doctor before starting solids.

One of the main things I fed mine was plain yogurt (full fat) and mashed avocados. When mine were babies avocado was highly recommended both for easy digestion and nutrient dense.

I would go back to the things you know she does well with. Also my doc recommended introducing only one new item every 3 weeks. That way there's no issue with identifying if there's a reaction.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions