Should young children drink juice?

With the recent scare about lead in fruit juice boxes, I have to step back and ask why parents are even letting their young children drink fruit juice in the first place.

It surprises me that about 90 percent of infants drink fruit juice by their first birthday. Except for special occasions like birthday parties, I follow my pediatrician’s recommendation to not give fruit juice until age five. That means that only 10 percent of parents agree with me, so I looked into what the authorities are saying about fruit juice.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that fruit juice not be given to infants under six months of age since it offers no nutritional benefit to babies. For children between six months and six years old, juice is not recommended. However, if juice is given, it should be limited to 4 to 6 ounces (120–180 ml) per day.

Keep in mind that plain water is a much healthier option--for a lifetime. I encourage parents to start the habit early and choose water over juice from the beginning.

PROBLEMS WITH JUICE
There are several reasons why juice is not a good choice for young children.

Tooth Decay
Cavities are linked to juice consumption since teeth are exposed to the sugars found in juice. The AAP and the American Academy of Pedodontics recommend that juice be offered to infants in a cup--not a bottle--since allowing children to carry juice around all day leads to excessive exposure of the teeth to sugar. In addition, infants should never be put to bed with a bottle in their mouth (see my recent post).

Obesity
It has been found that some children who drink too much juice have an increased risk of being overweight. If parents serve juice to their child, they should regulate the amount being consumed by offering it with food to slow down the rate at which it is absorbed and mix one-half juice with one-half water.

Poor Nutrition
Fruit juice offers no nutritional benefits over whole fruit. Most fruit juices do not contain any significant amount of protein, fat, minerals, or vitamins other than vitamin C. Therefore, children should be encouraged to eat whole fruits, instead of drinking juice, to meet the recommended daily fruit intake. Also, whole fruits provide fiber and other important nutrients.

Stomach Upset
If a child drinks too much juice, sometimes the juice will not be digested properly, leading to gas or diarrhea. Also, keep in mind that infants should never be given fruit juice to treat dehydration or diarrhea.

Illness Due to Harmful Pathogens
Children should not consume unpasteurized juice, which can contain harmful pathogens like Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Cryptosporidium that can cause serious disease.