Can infants eat yogurt

Yogurt contains probiotics , which are beneficial bacteria or the nutrients that promote the growth of the beneficial bacteria. Parents sometimes think giving their babies probiotics could offer specific health benefits such as an improved immune system—but research has not backed up these claims. However, there is early research data suggesting that specific probiotics such as reuteiri might reduce crying in babies with colic.

Breast milk and some infant formulas contain probiotics, which means many babies are already getting the beneficial bacteria without supplementation. At whatever age you choose to start yogurt, be selective about your choice.

Serve a whole milk yogurt, because your baby needs the nutritious fat in whole-milk products for proper brain development. While many yogurts are marketed to babies and kids, many of these yogurts add extra sugar. Since all yogurt contains naturally occurring sugars, you want to be mindful of how much sugar is added and if the yogurt contains other additives—like fructose syrup and starches. A good choice is to start with plain, whole milk yogurt. Buy a large tub of plain yogurt to save money over more expensive single-serving packages.

You can also save by skipping organic milk and yogurt products. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP , "There is no evidence of clinically relevant differences in organic and conventional milk. If you enjoy making your own baby foods, you can make your own baby smoothies, too. Frozen smoothies placed in a mesh baby feeder are a great way to soothe a teething baby's sore gums. These yogurts do not need to be refrigerated, which is nice if you want something you can toss in a diaper bag when you're on the go.

However, since these yogurts have been pasteurized, their live cultures have been destroyed. This means many of the elements that make yogurt a healthy option are no longer present in shelf-stable products.

Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. Because yogurt is made by fermentation, its proteins can be easily digested by tiny tummies. Plain, whole milk yogurt is an ideal choice as a first food for babies as it contains no added sugar, protein, fat, vitamin and minerals, all important for growth and development. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should get about half of their calories from fat.

You may wonder why it's okay for babies to eat yogurt, but drinking cow's milk isn't recommended until a baby is at least 12 months old. Actually, a little bit of cow's milk, like the amount in the occasional serving of yogurt, won't hurt your baby. It's just not a good replacement for the breast milk or formula that still makes up most of his diet for the first year. That's because babies can't digest cow's milk as easily or completely as breast milk or formula.

And cow's milk doesn't have the ideal proportion of fats and nutrients that your baby gets from breast milk or formula. For more information, see our article on when and how to introduce cow's milk to your child.

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Starting solid foods. Nemours Foundation. Infant botulism. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. December Join now to personalize. Photo credit: iStock. Possible allergic reactions are something to consider as well. Yogurt also may make tummies — big and small — happy. There are three main benefits to yogurt. The first is that yogurt is a quick, easy to find, and convenient source of protein. The second is the presence of probiotics. Much of these will not colonize the intestines so in that way, yogurt fine-tunes the immune system that lines the intestines and may help little bodies begin to recognize friendly versus harmful bacteria.

The third reason is that yogurt has less lactose than whole milk. Greek yogurt is all the rage. It also contains some of the nutrients that babies need when teething pain and tummy troubles decrease their appetites for other solid foods.

As an added bonus, Greek yogurt is strained more than regular, store-bought yogurt. This means that one of the proteins that causes allergic reactions whey and the lactose levels are lower in Greek yogurt, making it easier to digest than whole milk, which is not recommended for babies under one year. If you do choose to go with Greek yogurt, opt for plain. Greek yogurt with fruit or sweeteners and flavoring can be high in sugar and can cause unhealthy weight gain.

That said, there are pediatricians and nutritionists who caution against Greek yogurt and yogurt in general because of milk allergies and lactose intolerance. Yogurt can be served in baby oatmeal and rice cereal instead of mixing in milk as the box usually directs you to do , or added to simple mashed fruits or homemade applesauce for a protein and calcium boost.