The American Academy of Paediatrics has released a new recommendation, the first update for sixteen years on fruit juice. One that says: babies should have no fruit juice before they clock one, and that toddlers, and older children should have controlled amount.
There was a previous recommendation that stated that for six months, babies should not take fruit juice at all. However this new recommendation insists that for the entire first year of a child, they should not take fruit juice.
One of the authors of the report is Dr. Steven Abrams, the chair of pediatrics at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, Austin. He stated that: “There’s just no need for fruit juice in infancy”.
He also added that there is no evidence that it has any health benefit to children less than one year. He stated that rather it keeps them from the whole benefits of breast milk (the needed proteins and other nutrients) because babies don’t need any liquid other than breast milk or formula.
The report suggests also a limit on older children. It recommends:
About 4 ounces in a day for toddlers from ages 1 to 3.
Not more than 6 ounces for children between ages 4 to 6.
Not more than 8 ounces for older children.
Dr. Abrams added that it is alright for children to have juice in their diet so long as it is 100-percent fruit juice. He also stated that “water and milk are preferable.” Another contributor, Dr. Alisa Crim, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Miami gave her thoughts too. She stated that even if parents want alternatives for milk for their children, they should opt for those with no added sugar. She added that it is key that children learn from an early age healthy eating habits.
One other recommendation from the pediatrics association states that: Kids should not be given juice in sippy cups (cups with a cover and an opening form which the child sucks). The reason being that apart from the fact that the cups can affect the child’s teeth, it gives the children the impression that they can also get a refill.
