Know Why Excess Salt Is Not Good For Your Baby

The urge to feed your baby home-cooked meals once they start on solids is overwhelming at times. You want them to try different flavours and textures, but at the same time, you cannot help but think whether they would suit their tiny tummies. One of the biggest concerns that often pops up is salt - how much of it is too much for your little one. Reading this blog will help you understand why you should not give salt to your little ones during the first 1000 days of their lives. 

According to the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) Guidelines, “No extra salt to be added in the first 12 months and no extra sugar in the first 2 years.” It also emphasises that salt, as well as high fats and sugar, should be avoided during complementary feeding.”

Salt Recommendation For Babies

No doubt babies do need a certain amount of sodium, however, they easily get this from breastmilk, formula, and unprocessed foods that are a part of their complementary feeding. So, you do not need to add an extra sprinkle to their meals. As per the WHO guidelines, Adults should not take more than 5g of iodized salt (nearly 1 teaspoon) in a day, whereas for infants and young children “Salt and sugars should not be added to complementary foods.”

How Excess Salt Intake Affects A Baby

A Study Published by Mayo Clinic suggests that too much sodium intake (more than 400 mg per day) can lead to its build-up in the blood and put an additional load on the heart, which in turn causes your blood pressure to spike. This increases risks of heart diseases, stroke and kidney diseases. 

When we talk of small babies, less than a year old, their kidneys are neither fully developed nor capable of processing high levels of salt. Adding salt to their food may put their kidneys at risk of damage. The first evidence in support of this was cited in the study by Dean et al in which 4 adults and 5 infants were given a 10% sodium chloride solution intravenously. Their urine was examined, and it found that the adults excreted most of the sodium in a short span of time but the infants could not. This suggested that the kidneys of infants are incapable of excreting sodium chloride with the same capacity as adults. 

According to Nutritionist Jyoti Pachisia, “Infants’ kidneys do not have enough ability to conserve body fluids and excrete sodium; excess sodium in the diet causes calcium excretion; and high sodium intake in infancy may be associated with hypertension in later life. The reasons for not adding salt for infants are 

• may damage the developing kidney

• may predispose to high blood pressure

• make them prefer salty food later in life and 

• food contains enough sodium to meet the physiological needs of children during this period”

Foods To Avoid 

It is advisable to avoid feeding your little one foods that are loaded with sodium. These include cured meats, salty cheese, ready-to-cook food items, and condiments. 

Also Read

When And How To Give Salt To My Baby?

Complementary Food For My Baby - An Expert Shares Tips

Starting Baby On Solid Foods : 4 to 7 Months

Things To Keep In Mind

• Before you put salt in your food, set aside a small portion for your little one and then adjust the salt to your taste.

• Always opt for foods and products that are low in sodium. 

• If you use seasonings, choose the ones with less sodium content.

• Avoid giving them snacks that contain too much salt, such as pickles, nuggets, pizza, chips, crackers, olives, ketchup, soy, mayonnaise, and mustard. 

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