The American Academy of Pediatrics Announces New Juice Recommendations for Young Children
A new recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatricians changed the introduction of fruit juice from 6 months to 1 year. The AAP says that there is not significant nutritional benefit to young infants so stick with breast milk or formula until children can begin eating solid foods. At that time, mashed whole fruits are fine, but fruit juice has no place at the table until age 1.
When the child turns 1, hopefully they have already been to the dentist as the ADA recommends. A good dentist will let parents know the risks associated with sipping on fruit juice. Children who sip are at higher risk for tooth decay; which can lead to a myriad of other health issues down the road. Additionally when the child is old enough for fruit juice, the recommended amount is only 4oz a day. That is ½ cup. Not much. Most juice boxes start at a 6 oz. serving, so be sure to measure carefully.
The AAP also warns that diluting fruit juice does not necessarily help. So if you choose to give your 1 year old a small serving, choose 100% juice and serve in an open top cup, not a sippy cup or bottle.
One way our patients can offset the effects of the low pH, high sugar beverage is to spray the CTx2 Spray in their child’s mouth after drinking. If you feel like it is an awful lot of work just to have your child enjoy a little juice, perhaps avoiding it all together is a better option.