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470885 tn?1326329037

I hope this isn't a big deal.....

Today, we were decorating a gingerbread house, DH, DS (4), DS (10 months) and I.  It was so much fun!!!  DH was holding Baby G and, at one point, the baby grabbed one of the chocolate covered pretzels we were using to make a fence around the house and started going to town, licking off all of the chocolate!  And he was so darn happy and proud of himself!! :)

It was really cute...but then I started thinking "aren't you not supposed to give a baby chocolate until they're a year old?"  So now I'm a bit worried.....Like I said, he's 10 months...will be 11 months old on Monday.

I'm not planning on giving him any more chocolate until he's a year old....hoping this one exposure won't cause any issues!
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470885 tn?1326329037
GREAT information - thank you!!  I'm not so worried now :)

G hasn't been showing any signs of any allergic reaction.  We don't have any food allergies in our family (immediate or extended) but, just to be on the safe side, we'll likely wait until he's closer to a year old to give him chocolate more often.  

It was just so cute how excited he got when he tried it :)  And oh my....he jumps up and down when he sees us get Oreos out for his older brother, as a treat.  I think we've got a little junk food addict in the making :\
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1173196 tn?1292916490
I had never heard of the 12 month rule so I googled it and this is what I got. As long as G isn't showing any signs of an allergic reaction, you are fine to give him chocolate.

It's often recommended that you do not give your baby chocolate until after they are a year old and sometimes this comes with a warning about children frequently being allergic to it. In reality, however, there is not much evidence to support this. This advice is likely a carry-over from years past when allergic reactions were attributed to chocolate, but were really a result of allergy to other ingredients (like soy, peanuts, tree nuts and dairy) that chocolate frequently contains. Food labeling requirements were not strictly enforced until 2004-2006 so many parents and health care providers assumed chocolate was the culprit. Education about cross-contamination has also exonerated chocolate from its status as a highly allergenic offender.

To be on the safe side, you can wait until your child is a year old (especially if you have a family history of allergies) but if you choose to introduce it earlier, choose types that don't contain other potential allergens. The darker chocolate varieties contain less of these ingredients, especially dairy.

Whether or not you have a history, the first time you introduce chocolate, be sure to watch for the signs of an allergic reaction (hives, difficulty breathing or asthma symptoms, swelling of the mouth or throat, vomiting or diarrhea and loss of consciousness), know how to respond and be ready to call 9-1-1 immediately.

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