Can babies eat prawns?
Can my baby eat prawns? Is it safe to feed babies prawns? Yes! Absolutely, babies can eat prawns… ALTHOUGH you do need to be follow a few precautions, here’s why…
Prawns are one of the common food allergens and so they need to be introduced cautiously (although allergy to prawns is quite rare in babies and young children)
Prawns are also small and round, a bit tough to chew, and quite slippery, making them a potential choking hazard for babies. So they need to be modified before offering to babies.
Instead, here’s how I recommend to prepare them for babies:
Preparing prawns for babies
Peel the prawns and remove the head and tail. Cook thoroughly until they are opaque, pink (not grey!) and feel firm. Then finely chop the prawns with a knife and stir through some nutritional liquid like a sauce or some of babies usual milk
For babies who are around 6-7 months you can also add the whole prawns and the sauce (or milk) to a blender and blend to a smooth puree
It is recommend to avoid giving prawns whole until your baby can confidently chew, ideally >1 year
Check out my video here
More tips for introducing prawns to babies
1. Start small
Prawns are a common allergen food. I wouldn’t usually recommend giving them as a first food, incase of a reaction. Once your baby is tolerating a few non-allergenic foods, offer a small amount of prawn on day 1- like 1/2 prawn- and gradually build up the amount if no reaction occurs.
2. Introduce prawns at lunch
Offer new allergens earlier in the day when support is available, and ideally not right before a nap or at bedtime. It might also sound silly but avoid giving within 2 hours of sunset or lights being dimmed in the house, so you can easily see your child’s skin if there is a reaction.
3. Introduce one new potentially allergenic food at a time
Leave at least a whole day in between, but ideally 72 hours, so that if there is a delayed reaction, it’s easier for you to pinpoint the cause
4. Avoid raw or undercooked seafood
Always cook prawns thoroughly!
Want more support, or need help introducing shellfish safely to your baby?
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Note: The suggestions I offer are for information only and do not a substitute for child-specific advice from a professional. It is impossible to fully eliminate all risk of a baby or child choking on any liquid, puree, or food