Can we give banana to baby during cold? As parents, we know how tough it is to see our little ones feeling dull and cranky when theyโre sick. We want to do everything we can to help them feel better. However, there are so many myths out there about cough, cold, and fever that it can be really confusing. Letโs dive in and uncover the truth behind these common misconceptions, so we can make informed decisions when caring for our precious babies
- Avoid giving a bath
- Donโt allow the kid outside the house if he has cold
- Avoid dairy products like milk and curd
- Donโt give ghee
- Avoid ragi when itโs winter or cold outside
- Donโt offer banana, orange, watermelon, pomegranate or grapes
Except for a few genuine home remedies, most myths about treating kids during a cough, cold or fever are not true, especially when it comes to food. Letโs take a look at what the truth is about these myths, especially the question:
Can we give Banana to Baby during Cold, Cough, Fever?
1. Can I bathe my baby if he has cough and cold?
Wondering if you can bathe your baby during cough and cold? While elders advise against it, bathing with lukewarm water is perfectly fine. Skipping baths for long can worsen infections, so aim for alternate-day baths during cold and cough. A warm bath soothes body pain and congestion, helps regulate body temperature during fever, but ensure thorough drying afterward to prevent chills. Can we give banana to baby during cold? Letโs explore further.
2. Can I allow my child to play outside if he has cough and cold ?
This is a very tricky question, since it largely depends on the weather and the intensity of the cold and cough of the child. If you think the child has a mild cold and the weather is amicable you can send your little one to play outside for an hour or so. But if itโs cold outside, itโs better to stay indoor as the cold weather can affect the bodyโs ability to fight off a cold. Please also be aware that if he has an infectious type of cold or cough he might infect his playmates as well. Can we give banana to baby during cold? Keep reading to find out.
3. Can I give milk, curd or ghee during cold and cough for my child?
In my childhood days, if I had cold, then my mom would ban milk till I recover completely which may be weeks ๐
Now this is also has been proved wrong, milk and curd can be safely given to babies and children during cold and cough. Thereย is no evidenceย that dairy products lead to the production of more mucus.ย It is safe to drink milk during cold and cough. Milkย has high energy and nutrition, which can help to fight against infections. Adding ginger powder/ turmeric milk masala/ Masala milk magic in milk can soothe and protect against seasonal illnesses like cold, cough and fever. Can we give banana to baby during cold? While dairy products like milk and curd are safe to consume during a cold, another food that can be given is banana.
Milk consumption does not lead to mucus production or occurrence of asthma.
Here is more information about The Milk Mucus Belief.
The Nutritional Powerhouses: Curd and Ghee for Cold and Cough
Curd is rich in nutrients and boosts gut health, treats cold and cough, and keeps the body hydrated. Ayurveda suggests avoiding curd at night. Ghee, with its essential fatty acids and vitamins, enhances immunity, soothes cold, and promotes lung health. According to Nutritionist Dhvani Shah, ghee prevents infection and expels mucus. This is also one of the queries alongside โcan we give banana to baby during cold?โ
4. Can I give my baby ragi during cold and cough?
Ragi and Bajra are good winter foods. Ragi can be given to babies and children during cough and cold. Ragi is rich in fiber, protein and calcium. They are loaded with amino acids like Eleusinian, tryptophan, cysteine, methionine and total aromatic amino acids that are rarely found in other grains. Ragi helps to regulate the body temperature and keeps it warm. So itโs completely safe and good to feed ragi even during cold and cough. Can we give banana to baby during cold? Letโs explore further.
5. Can I give bananas, grapes, watermelon, oranges during cold and cough to my child?
It has been programmed into our brain that โNo fruits during cold and cough in Childrenโ is a belief we follow blindly. However, scientific evidence proves that increasing fruits rich in vitamin C, like bananas, is protective against cold and cough in children. Moderation is key when giving banana to baby during cold. Explore the benefits of incorporating fruits, including bananas, in the first half of the day.
The Benefits of Fruits During Cough and Cold: Expert Insights and Research Evidence
Research articles emphasizing the protective & beneficial effects of fruits in cough and cold
1. Consumption of fresh fruits rich in Vitamin C and Wheezing symptoms.
2. Effect of fresh fruit consumption on lung function and wheeze in children.
3. Nutrition and childrenโs respiratory health.
Expert homeopath Dr. Bhavi Mody confirms that fruits, especially Vitamin C-rich ones, can be safely given during cough and cold. Try our Raw Kerala Banana Powder for babies as an alternative. Keep a food diary to identify and avoid potential triggers.
6. Can I give my baby ghee during cough and cold?
According to Nutritionist Dhvani Shah, โGhee is one of the most nutritious Indian foods. It is therapeutic in Nature, helps line the lungs, prevent infection, prevent dry cough and throw out mucous from the bodyโ.
7. Can I give my baby honey during cold and cough?
Honey is not recommended for infants under 1 year old. For children older than 1 year, honey can be used as a natural cough remedy in moderation. Can we give banana to baby during cold? Bananas can be given to babies during a cold as they are soft, easily digestible, and can provide soothing relief for a sore throat. Consult a healthcare professional for guidance before introducing new foods or remedies.
8. Can I give my child over-the-counter cough and cold medications?
It is not recommended to give over-the-counter cough and cold medications to children under 4 years old without healthcare professional guidance. Instead, can we give banana to baby during cold and cough? Bananas are a soft and easily digestible fruit that can provide soothing relief for a sore throat during a cold. Consult a healthcare professional for appropriate treatment options for your childโs cough and cold symptoms.
9. When should I seek medical advice for my childโs cold?
Seek medical advice for your childโs cold if they experience high fever, difficulty breathing, persistent coughing, ear pain, signs of dehydration, symptoms that worsen or do not improve after a week, or if you have any other concerns. Itโs important to prioritize your childโs health and consult with a healthcare professional when necessary.
Thanku for the information
Our pleasure ๐
Hi my son is 7.5 month old he often has diarrhea now I am giving plain idli moongdal rice .wat else can I give for his growth.
Hi Shifana,
You can start introducing all the foods one by one (food chart for reference). If baby get’s diarrhoea often, please have a word with the pediatrician as well.
Hi! My son is not eating very well. What do i do.please help
Hi Shanika,
May I know his age please?
Hello…can i give apple and milk juice morning, afternoon , evening & night to my 5 month old baby..??
Can it cause cough..???
Plz..reply as possible as fast…
Hi Yamini,
Exclusive breast feeding is only recommended till baby becomes 6 months of age. Cow’s milk is not to be given till baby turns 1 year of age. Instead of juice, apple puree can be given, when baby becomes 6 months of age.
Hello Man, My son is 6 years old… Very frequently he sufferes from cough. Every time I m very confused what food I can provide to him during cough.. Please suggest
Give healthy and nutritious food and try some of these https://www.mylittlemoppet.com/top-20-home-remedies-for-cough-and-cold-for-children/
Can i eat rice ang give rice to my 1year old baby when she is suffering from cold and cough. My husband had asked me to avoid rice…
You can give rice, however if you fear that the baby develops cold or it aggravates his cold, avoid during evening hours. Give small portions and see if the baby is comfortable.
Im sorry that am totally against all those said above. The myths are actually true. Exception is raw banana, because its just RAW, which means its heaty!!!. Also milk can be given, by adding half teaspoon turmeric into boiling milk– this is very beneficial during illness. No cooling foods should be given. No banana, fruits, curd, and fat. Fat is too difficult to digest during a cold n fever.
Hi Soumya, it is for you to know what is best. Scientifically there is nothing that proves curd and banana causes or increases cold.
thank u so much.what should i do when my bsby is in constipation and he is growth is not enough what shoud i do
Try some of these options dear https://www.mylittlemoppet.com/20-super-healthy-weight-gain-foods-babies-kids/
I have this doubt. I know we shouldn’t give anything from the refrigerator during cold and cough to the child. But, what if it is allowed to come to room temperature before eating? Say i have removed it 2hours before offering. Could that aggravate cold or cough?
Hi dear, it will not aggravate if you have brought the food to normal room temperature before serving it. If you are worried, serve small portions only.
Hi Hema,
My daughter is 10 months old. From a variety of foods I tried, it looks like banana(small variety) and curd are her favourite foods. She can have anything if mixed with banana or curd. I always ended up feeding her atleast 2 bananas and a couple of tablespoons of curd. And recently when she had a cold which is still not cleared, we doubt if its because of the bananas and curd. Please tell me if curd and bananas can be safely given to babies without the fear of phlegm.
Thanks,
Chithra
Hi,
Yes they can be safely given to babies, make sure you give them in the mornings or afternoon rather than the nights
Thanks a lot Hema for the quick response. I will limit it to the mornings only. ๐
Why should banana be avoided at nights ??
Dear, if you think that your little one is comfortable to have it you can give.
hi dr.hema pls can u help me.i m from bangladesh.my baby is 11months old and since few days she is suffering cough.taken medicine at this time can i give her banana bcoz she is like to take banana.pls help me and what should i do for cough?
Hello hema, this s praveena.. Does pears fruit cause cold for toddlers.
Hi maam.. my son is 7.5 month old and his birth weight was 3.5 . but he is 6 kg only.what should i do to increase his weight.and also he is suffering from chest congestion and vomits from nose and mouth.he didnt take any food and milk. i am in pune. getting stress a lot. no one with me to guide me. pls pls guide me that to relive him from cold and to get weight gain…
waiting for ur guidence…as my mom
Hi doctor,
I need help for constipation, my son holds on his stools. He is 4.5 he was okay in his vacations and when his school reopen ed he started doing it more. Please suggest something.
Thanks
Hi you can give lots of fluids and chapati to loosen the tools. Let him consume as much as water on daily basis. you can also add banana in his diet..
Hope this would be helpful information
hello doctor,
It’s really a very very good post.. actually I hv my 9months daughter and she is also suffering from a bit of cold and cough and I was having exactly the same doubts which is mentioned in the above article… I prepared porridge for my daughter with adding almost a half spoon of ghee but my husband resisted not to give this food to her… even I am not giving bath to her from past 3 days… so just wanted to confirm one more time if I can give her bath and yes she is having fever also from past 3 days but after giving medicine flexon her fever is coming in control… and also if during cold we can add bit of ghee in her meals … and if tea and mashed roti can be given to a baby ?? Please reply
Hi Dr.
Can i give apple, pear and dark chocolate in wet cough to my 3 year old baby. she have cough from 3 week and i m using nebulizer but still she have cough in chest. pls give any suggestion.
Thank u
thanks a lot Hema….. I did a big mistake for my two kids by feeding them with 2 oranges daily for a month continously even when they had cold… Then my daughter 5 years old got severely affected with cold in lungs… We took antibiotic and other medicines but even after 3 months, i am sure both my kids do still have cold in their lungs…..
They definetely need Milk 3 times daily which they will ask me and i could not avoid.. Similarly ghee and banana also…
what to do to get rid off this cold and cough…
Dear Hema,
Try the immune boosting foods to increase the immunity which in turn may prevent cough and cold
Thanks a ton!This is what I wanted to know:)
Thanks a lot hema…. For doing a great work…my son completed his 1st birthday 2 days before… u cleared the doubts very well… nd my doubt is shall I give watery vegetables like bottle guard, pumpkin etc… During cough nd cold? Will they increase cold… or not ?
hi Hema
can i give banana to my 1 year old in winter season (North India).
Dear Varinder,
Yes you can give in the afternoons
Hello hema,
I am really happy to find your website about babies food and care. I have a baby girl of 1 year, she is down with fever, cold and cough. please suggest me the best food for her as she is vomiting(breast milk too ) whatever i feed her. I desperately need your reply mam please. i’m mailing my husbands mail id please do reply me.
thank you.
Thank you so much Dr. Hema.
My son has2and half year his weight is 11kg he never ask for food what will i do for his weight
Hi Ashvini,
We have dealt these questions in detail in our FAQ page, do check it
i live in Shimla and want to give ragi to my 7 month old baby. should i just grind n give or should i soak n then give as someone told me it should be soaked to make its taseer cold.
Hi shivani,
You can soak, sprout and give the ragi
Superb post Hema… Thanks a lot
Thank you Dhivya, Happy you found it useful ๐
Hi Hema,
Hope you are doing well.
I need your help. My SIL is getting married on aug 24th which means a lot of traveling around with my LO who is going to turn 1 on 21st August. My LO is prone to colds and wheezing due to weather changes. … hence request you for some tips for the travel and what foods to carry as most of the time we are traveling.
Thanks in advance for your help and time.
Regards,
Sangeeta
Hi Dr. Hema,
Can i give ragi to my baby herebin bangalore? As because the climate is so cold will it make his body cold and catch cold
thank you hema for ur valuable tips given regarding myths and taboos
Glad you found it useful ๐
This is a very useful websight for parents
Thank you ๐
Thanks a lot hema ji for such an article where i always wanted to clear all my doubts. Once my daughter had bad cold n cough. She left eating everything. She had to take medicines for 2.5 months but still her cold was not better. I stopped giving her all above things. A noise came every time from her bose n chest but doctor said nothing to worry. I was so worried as ot was a very long time now. Then i started adding garlic pepper n ginger in everything for her. I give her bath in 3 or 4 days every time. She was just 9 months at that time. Doctor said cough will go in 3 or 4 months. It will take time. I was totally in depression. I never gave her massage also at that time. I gave her so many home remedies that now she has lot lot lot of heat in her body. Now i am afraid to give any home remedies or even medicines in cold as it creates heat. Now she’s 20 months old. I give her bath daily but after that her nose starts running for 4…5 hrs. Is it any allergy or Bangalore weather problem.plz tell me this ma’am. Also throw some light on massage in cold And wd what type of oil and at what time of day???is adding camphor safe in coconut oil for sensitive skin baby. She had a reaction at 2 months with Johnson powder. So am asking this. Plz reply for my each single question.m sorry for long post but i am stressed wd all ds…y it happened for 2.5 months n all….she had deficiencies of vitamin d…iron n calcium due to not eating anything in dat cold. She didn’t even took vitamin syrups also.
Hi Ritu,
Sorry just now seeing your message, even when we were in Bangalore my son had frequent cough and cold, instead of home remedies for cough and cold try improving her immune status, give good immune boosting foods, do bathe her daily with lukewarm water, now massage is not necessary, and don’t add camphor if she has allergy
Take care
Hema
Thanks ma’am for replying….i was really waiting…..
1)plz tell me some immune boosting foods….
2)if baby has cold then also can i gv her bath?i give her everything now…like banana orange etc n that too in evening also.so that she develops normally. 3)Ma’am one more query….she had bad diarrhea 2 months back. Till now she has sensitive tummy.i gv her boiled water only..if i try giving unboiled water then again loose motion starts. How to stop ds condition ma’am.
4)also if i gv her kishmish then also she get loose motion. It’s happening after diarrhea only. Earlier she used to eat kishmish
Hi Ritu,
here are the list of Immune Boosting Foods for babies
Yes, you can give her bath in warm water
Since she is very sensitive, give boiled water till 1year
Maybe she is not able to accept it, stop kishmish for sometime, did you give any lactobacillus during diarrhoea, they are useful bacteria that line the gut, m
Thank u Dr. Hema fr such useful tips. The varieties of dishes n uses are wonderful for kids.
Hi Joan, Glad you like it
Thanks Hema for sharing this with us… But hw much ever we argue, elders don’t believe us ๐ and finally endup not giving oranges during cold… one more myth is covering top to toe and not allowing kids on the floor (force them to sit on the play mat and wearing socks though it is not comfortable for them to walk, at the age of 1yr)… does it cause cold.
Yes, that is true, more often we end up obeying the elders, this is a very good doubt you have raised Trupthi. If the floor is cold, then definitely you need to wear socks, since cold can cause narrowing of the blood vessels and thereby decreased blood supply to the extremities and it may lead to cyanosis (blue feet) and complications that arise due to cyanosis.
But if the weather is hot, and your child is suffering from cold, there is no need to cover the body top to toe. Hope this helped
Thanks Hema for sharing! Such a useful post for moms.
Thank you Antonet ๐