Should a baby within one year of age consume salt?
Babies under one year old cannot eat salt. Their kidneys are not fully developed. If they consume too much salt, it can lead to metabolic dysfunction of the kidneys and increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Generally, it is recommended to wait until the child is over one year old and add a small amount of salt to their complementary foods, but the amount should be controlled.
Babies under one year old should not eat salt, as the main component of salt is sodium. If a child consumes too much sodium, it can easily lead to metabolic dysfunction in the kidneys. As the child's kidney development is not yet fully complete, consuming excessive amounts of salt can easily increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract and cause relatively greater stimulation to the kidneys.
Generally, babies begin to eat complementary foods after six months of age, and it is not necessary to add excessive amounts of salt. It is usually considered after the baby turns one year old to introduce salt into their diet, but even then, the amount of salt consumed by the baby each day should be minimal. During the first six months, there is no need to specifically add salt to the baby's diet, as they require less than 1 gram of salt daily, which can be obtained from breast milk or formula milk. Introducing salt too early can affect the normal development of the baby. During the period when the baby eats salt, mothers should control the amount of salt to approximately 1 gram and gradually increase it when the baby turns one year old, but it should still not exceed 2 grams. When the baby's constitution is weak, such as during diarrhea, excessive sweating, or vomiting, the amount of salt can be considered for appropriate adjustment.
