thanks hetal..tell me am i supposed to add salt and sugar in the soilds i give my 7 month old? Trisha replied. Hi Hetal..Before saying thanks a,i would congratulate you for such in depth knowledege in the matter,i myself have been doing bit of study and decided not to give salt/sugar right now...but elders were very sceptical bat it,u confirmed me..thanks again.... Hetal replied. hi, babies upto 9months dont require any salt or sugar in their food. however, there have been traditions and culture in some parts of world to give sweet things(halwa,kheer,raagi malt with sugar or salt),or salty foods at the starting itself.

the reason given by them is we eat all spices,so we want our baby to eat them and they think that by giving that, its improving baby digestion(salt,sugar nothing to do with digestion) or rather good health of the baby,,some even say by giving that babies get sharp mentally or becomes intelligent..none understands that intelligence is in genes and thats how iq levels are decided in real terms,,and its not always that one person can convert his full potential in 100% intelligence that he has..and food cant help in that & for answer to spices,well they can be easily introduced after 9months-12months!!

so you see, things are treated differently when it comes to cultures and traditions.we cant argue them,,always take first hand recommendations from family,,nothing wrong....just be abit miser when it comes to sugar.

personally when i started solids for my baby, i started solids without any salt or sugar,,it was after 1.5months of tasteless boiled foods, i started giving my dd salt,,,just namesake.
but sugar she started having after she complted 10monts and that too was occassionaly like once a while,or on weekends, when we go out,,i prefer to get a hot bowl of kheer or halwa then all spicy foods or oily foods that wee eat ! and i stopped takng her foods alongwith me,thenonwards,,,but it dpends on your baby,,mine was more interested in our foods because of once a while occassional taste bites from our plates :))..

drs are ok with a lite sprinkle of salt and some gerber2nd stage foods also contain salt,,,
but sugar has proved to overstimulate baby,,which is actually not a part of natural activity for baby,,so why do that..let your baby show his own natural activeness then a carried forward stimulation,,

i would say ask your dr, because the cases where diabetes has been in family history, those mothers were adviced to give salt/sugar to their babies as late as 1year.,,also it dpends on what kind of diabetes prevailed in family history...

as such nothing to worry,,any food in excess is not good for adults and for babies,a bit less than normal is alot more !!! so you decide what you want to give your baby :)

Good Luck