when can a baby start drinking tea?

Question

Can I give my 11 month old baby a diluted cup of tea (whole milk and tea)

Answer 1

If you are in the UK look for Rooibos Tea (Red bush tea) - one make is Laager but there are other makes. You can get it at any health shop (Holland and Barrett?) and they are starting to sell it in Tesco / Sainsburys. It is a South African tea, caffeine free and has anti-oxidants and low levels of tannin. It is a very healthy tea and mid wives recommend it for babies and has been included in pediatric wards in rehydration programmes.Also very good for digestive,soothing properties. Give it to your little one without any milk though (and not too strong) and with a tiny bit of sugar just to sweeten it up. Is delicious cold / warm and a cuppa for mum / dad before they go to sleep, also helps relax.

Has other uses (which I have tried) - for nappy rash, wet a rooibos teabag with hot water, let it cool down and put on baby's bottom / in her nappy for a couple of minutes to soothe nappy rash.(this really works!)

For skin rashes - make up 500ml rooibos tea using one teabag and add to bath water

If you need anymore tips, let me know!!

Answer 2

I've seen people do it but I don't recommend it, Tea does prevent the absorbtion of Iron which is something a growing baby needs. Maybe in a few months you can give a little in a sippy cup but I would say it's still a little bit too early to do that.

Answer 3

I personally would not give a baby tea. Tea contains caffeine--that child does not need that. Too young. I know of an adult who drank tea one night, instead of coffee, and was awake for quite some time. Learned the hard way not to do that again. Your bab's pediatrician sure would not approve of your idea. Babies need milk, and good, nutritious food as they get old enough) to grow on. Take care.

Answer 4

You shouldn't be giving your baby whole milk at this time...cows milk is meant for baby cows and has a much higher fat content in it than breast milk, so it is hard for them to digest and also causes weight problems in children. As far as the tea goes, you want to make sure that you don't give your baby tea that has any kind of caffeine in it...it is not good for them and you will kick yourself when you can't get your little one to sleep. Some herbal teas are ok. I use to give my child chamomile in his bottle before bedtime when he was having trouble sleeping. The only thing you have to be careful about is if there is any history of hayfever or similar allergies in your family, as some herbal teas can evoke an allergic reaction in infants. If you give your child tea, water it down at first and watch for signs of sneezy, stuffy/runny nose, irritability that may indicate that your child is allergic to that particular kind of tea. If there is no reaction, then you can give your child a stronger brew next time. Teas like chamomile actually have a little bit of sweetness to them, so no sweetener is needed and should be avoided to prevent damage to new teeth. Finally, there is a brand of teas on the market that you can find in many grocery/health food stores. I believe it is Natural Remedies and they have several teas marketed just for children that are mixed in dosages safer for children and omit ingrediants that could be harmful to children (caffeine & other stimulants, diuretics, etc...) They have names like "Nighty Night" and have cartoon animals drawn on the box. If you are going to try and give your child tea, I would suggest trying one of these brands if you can find it, because you know they were made for children.

Answer 5

I don't know about milk with tea, but I gave my daughter fennel tea when she was 4 weeks old ( helps with colic). Babies are allowed to have milk by then so I don't think there is a problem with it. As long as you get tea without caffeine.

Answer 6

What kind of tea? Something mild should be fine. They say you can give a baby chamomile tea when they are little to help with colic. Ask your pediatrician. They can tell you over the phone. No appointment necessary.

Answer 7

You can start giving your baby pretty much anyhing after it's 12 months old. Make sure that tea isn't too strong and you'll be fine.
You can also buy special herbal teas for babies (from 4 months old)

Answer 8

I was giving my six old months tea because colic,I think that you can give your baby tea without worry

Answer 9

nooooooooooooo, i made the mistake of leaving my cuppa on the side at my friends house while i went for a wee. it was cold anyway, but she drank it (ew...cold tea) and i had the joys of babysitting that night...she would not go to sleep!! i blaim the tea 4 making her hyper cuz it has more caffine in it the coffee did u kno? plus its just not advisable 2 give a baby tea or coffee, let 'em try it in their teens if they wana

Answer 10

The earliest should be 2. And why would you want to dilute it with milk?