The ill, elderly, mothers who gave birth within the past month, or pregnant and nursing women who feel or anticipate excessive difficulty should consult a Rav.
A Rav should be consulted regarding medicines.
One who inadvertently ate during the fast must immediately resume fasting.
One may not taste food to determine whether it requires salt/spices, even for a Seudas Mitzvah.
Anyone below Bar/Bas Mitzvah need not fast. From age 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. [One should not be unduly strict in this regard.]
An individual exempt from fasting 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 Bentch.]
