Watermelon for your baby can be used as food additives or snacks. All types of fruit are healthy, but giving fruit to babies is not allowed to be careless. It must be known beforehand whether or not it is good for your baby.
Well, watermelon is a tropical fruit that has many benefits because it is rich in water, potassium, and vitamins. In addition, bright red and yellow colors can make babies curious and want to try it. Plus the taste is sweet and fresh with a crisp and soft texture that is loved by everyone, from babies to parents.
When can you give watermelons to babies?
When introducing new foods to babies, you should wait until the baby can overcome the texture of the food. Watermelon may be given to your baby between the ages of 8-10 months.
However, you must pay attention to several factors. Does the baby have enough teeth to chew? Does the baby really chew the food before swallowing? Because the texture of watermelon is hard to break, you should not introduce it too early.
Healthy benefits of watermelon for baby
1. Maintain fluid balance and prevent dehydration
Watermelon can help maintain fluid balance in your baby's body. This is because watermelons have a content consisting of 93 percent water and seven percent meat. This composition can prevent dehydration and is very good during hot weather, especially if the baby sweats a lot. This fruit also contains electrolytes, which help reduce the possibility of being exposed to heat.
2. Good for your baby's heart
Watermelon has lycopene content. Lycopene is an antioxidant that is good for heart health and reduces the rate of asthma attacks. This content increases as the fruit ripens.
Watermelon is also rich in carotenoids such as neurosporena, lutein, phytofluene, phytoene, and beta-carotene. Just like lycopene, various carotenoid content is good for maintaining the baby's heart function in its infancy.
3. Improve the immune system
Watermelon contains vitamin C, which is important to help fight infections, strengthen the immune system (immune), and help increase red blood cells and hemoglobin through iron absorption. A strong immune system means that your baby's body is getting away from various types of diseases.
4. Improve vision
Vitamin A contained in watermelon is highly recommended for your child's vision. The content of this vitamin is very much obtained from eating watermelon. Other benefits of vitamin A include making the skin healthier and radiant while supporting the little one's teeth growth.
5. Bone development
Watermelon also contains minerals such as calcium and manganese which help in bone development. Calcium is important for producing growth hormones. Magnesium helps in building muscle and nerve function in infants.
6. Source of vitamin B complex
Vitamin B complex includes various vitamins that provide various benefits. Vitamins in this watermelon help produce red blood cells, develop the nervous system, strengthen the immune system, function the brain and repair proteins, and increase metabolism in the baby's body.
7. Promotes digestion of the baby
Watermelon is rich in dietary fiber so it can help keep the digestive tract healthy. Eating watermelon can help cure constipation and irregular bowel movements in babies.
Consider the following if you want to give watermelon to your baby
Here are some things to consider before feeding watermelons for your baby.
- Pay attention to food allergic reactions in babies after being fed watermelon. For example, baby's skin becomes reddish and itching, diarrhea, vomiting, and certain body parts such as swollen lips.
- Fruit texture. Because watermelon is a juicy fruit, most people think that giving watermelon in the form of juice is better than giving in pieces. However, feeding your baby with juice is not a good idea. Fruit juice for babies increases the risk of cavities. It is feared that babies will not be interested in eating solid food. So it's better to give a small piece of watermelon to your baby. If you are not sure whether your baby will eat it, try pounding it a little.
- Make sure the fruit is high quality. Don't buy watermelons that have been cut and repackaged. Fruit that has been cut from the seller has a high risk of contamination. We recommend that you buy watermelon in full and mature form.
- Cut fruit at home. Cut enough watermelons and store the remaining pieces that have not been cut in the refrigerator. If the watermelon from the refrigerator is to be given to your baby again, make sure it reaches room temperature before you give it to your baby, not too cold. Cut in small sizes so the baby does not choke.