The ill/elderly, a woman who gave birth within the past month, or a pregnant or nursing woman who feels (or anticipates) excessive difficulty, should consult a Rav.
A Rav should be consulted regarding medicines.
If one inadvertently ate during the fast, one must immediately resume fasting.
One may not taste food to determine whether it requires salt/spices, even for a Seudat Mitzvah.
Anyone below Bar/Bat Mitzvah need not fast. From the age of nine upwards, the custom is to train children to fast at night, and for several hours during the day, as per the child’s abilities.
As explained earlier, an individual exempt from fasting makes Havdallah (without Besamim) before eating, regardless of whether he breaks his fast at night or during the day. [A Havdallah candle is used only at night.] He should eat in private only, and avoid delicacies or excessive intake. Similarly, children old enough to understand the concept of a fast day should avoid delicacies. [Bread is best avoided, so as to sidestep a number of disputes regarding how to wash and say Birchat Hamazon.]
