From the Guidelines
Salt is not recommended for 7-month-old babies. According to the pediatric health guidelines from 0 to 18 years old, infants under 12 months should avoid foods high in sodium or with added sugars or artificial sweeteners 1. Infants typically get the necessary amount of salt from breast milk or formula, and adding extra salt to their food is unnecessary and potentially harmful.
Key Considerations
- Infants' kidneys are still developing and cannot process excess sodium effectively, which can strain their kidneys and potentially lead to health problems like high blood pressure later in life.
- The natural flavors in foods are sufficient for babies to develop their taste preferences.
- When preparing homemade baby food, it is essential to avoid adding salt and be cautious with processed foods, which often contain hidden sodium.
Recommendations for Feeding
- As your baby transitions to family foods, try to cook without salt and add it to adult portions afterward.
- This approach helps your baby develop a taste for natural food flavors rather than salty ones, promoting healthy eating habits from an early age, as suggested by the guidelines for dietary intake in infancy 1.
From the Research
Salt Intake for 7-Month-Old Infants
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding foods with added salt for infants aged 6-12 months, but the reason for this lacks sufficient evidence 2.
- Infants aged 6-12 months may be at risk of low sodium intake if their supplementary food is not adequately salted, with a recommended daily intake of 150-300 mg of sodium 2.
- A study found that diluting milk formula with tap water containing a high concentration of sodium can result in the infant being fed a high-salt diet, leading to increased blood pressure in neonates 3.
- Breast milk composition shows no further decline in sodium concentrations after 6 months of lactation, and weaning is associated with an increase in protein and sodium in breast milk 4.
- There is insufficient evidence to suggest that high salt intake early in life leads to hypertension or salty diet preference in adults 2.
- The kidneys of infants aged 6-12 months have adequate sodium excretion capacity, and there is no conclusive evidence that added salt is harmful for this age group 2.