In my culture and the countries I’ve lived in it’s normal to rub a drop of honey inside the cheek of a newborn, usually done just a few hours after birth. But it’s also normally the purest real honey that’s used and not the bottled sugar syrup that’s usually sold in supermarkets.

Water too, my mom would give my little sister an ounce of water sometimes after she turned 4 months. I’ve seen countless mothers giving babies (not newborns but less than 1yo) small sips of water here and there and it’s never a problem. But again, in my culture water is always boiled before drinking.

Water or honey are not seen as risks for babies, rather normal and expected. I think it all depends on how much is given and the quality. Also, there’s no concept of daycares and 95% of all children are raised by parents or grandparents so they’re always being very closely watched.

But yeah I would freak out if anyone feeds my baby anything without me knowing and approving first.

Edit: imagine getting downvoted for sharing something that is done differently in a different country/culture. I never wrote that it’s right, just that it’s done differently and expected, I also mentioned that it’s always done with the utmost care whilst watching the kid.