Sushi/raw fish, Parma ham, etc

[Hsmum]

I live in Japan where fish and seafood are always very fresh. I have been here for 10 years and have never been ill from eating sushi (which I eat at least once a week). I followed the Western idea when pregnant and avoided it (the Japanese continue to eat it it through their pregnancies). Now I'm wondering, when can a child start eating sushi? And what about "raw" prosciutto or Parma ham?

[Tamara]

I don't know what the official line here is at all.........but I've always taken these eating guidlines slightly with a pince of salt and used them only as guidelines not as the definitive (- given that ideas and advice tend to change from generation to generation or even year to year).

Personally, my view is - that if it's safe for you to eat it, then it's safe for a child that's over 12 months to eat (as long as they can cope with the food, ie not going to cause a choking hazard etc)

What do the Japanese do?  I think the best thing would be to follow their lead here, they're the experts on their foods and ways of living.

Sushi, i have no experience of, but the parma ham kind of things - DD loves these and was, I think, about 2.5 when she first had it.  The only thing with this meat is, that it's quite difficult to chew and swallow, it's quite tough for LOs.  But might just enjoy the flavour anyway?

Just my twopence worth.

[Deb_in_oz]

the guidelines i have always seen have said that over 12 mo children can eat anything you can have and as Tamara said use your judgement in terms of ability to chew and eat certain foods. just watch for salt content and anything that is an possible allergan - so with seafood you shoudl watch very carefully when you give shellfiush for the first time as many people have allergies there, same for nuts etc. so as long as the sushi etc is fresh and you think your lo woudl like to try it I think it is fine 

[estherofi20]

Well i don't think there is anything wrong with a 12MO or older eating sushi, my brother gave sushi and sashimi to my niece since she started walking (and what do you know...  its her favorite food.. if you ask her if she wants a McDonalds hamburger, she says no, she prefers sashimi ) and nothing has ever happened to her, just make sure it doesn't smell bad, and i guess that's it... but i mean you ARE in Japan... how fresh can sushi get uhh? ('cause here in Mexico you have to be in a good restaurant to eat raw fish)

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

I agree with pps - what do the Japanese do? If their los eat it, then I don't see a problem. Fresh sushi is one of the best things on this earth, so why not introduce it to lo?

Just be very watchful the first time he has it like Debra said

[Isabella]

Hello there I live in Italy and according to our ped's guidelines we give parma ham after 10 months! I have not tried it yeton n.2 (nearly 11 months) but I will and some sushi too!

[notenoughshelfspace]

I would love to know the answer to this as well as my husband and I are huge sushi eaters and touch wood I have ever bee sick from it. I continued to eat salmon while I was pregnant as well. What do they do i Japan? I thin I might try my little one on sashimi next time I am at my local ...........

[Hsmum]

Thanks to everyone for your advice. The Japanese have different ideas, they start solids very early, I was given soup (consomme) for my DS to have at 12 weeks (I didn't). There's salt and sugar in all their baby foods, they eat anything while pregnant (soft/blue cheese, etc!) and they start dropping milk feeds after a few months (an 8 month old on one drink of milk a day?) which differs a lot to the advice I was given. This is why I wanted to know the Western approach. That said, they do have the lowest infant mortality rate in the world....!

[Tamara]

That's SO bizzarre isn't it?  How different can advice vary from country to country?

But like you said they're a pretty healthy nation, and it makes me laugh to think how 'ott' we are about the advice we are given!!!  Like I said, I always take this kind of advice with a pinch of salt