Under Age 1: No Fruit Juice For You
(CBS4) - The American Academy of Pediatrics say that fruit juice should be a no-go for children under the age of one year. It's the first change in juice guidelines since 2001.
Up to now, the recommendation was that fruit juice was okay beginning at six months of age, but rising rates of obesity, concern over tooth decay, and the development of a "sweet tooth" are among the issues that prompted the AAP to advise a change.
The pediatricians say there is really no nutritional need for fruit juice six months or before since babies should be breast or bottle fed during that time, and juice adds nothing to the mix.
That's not to say that after age 1 that fruit juice is out: the Academy says that it can be part of a well balance diet provided it is 100% juice, and the amounts a kid takes in are limited.
For example, for ages 1-3, the max amount is 4 ounces per day.
Ages 4-6, it's up to 6 ounces per day.
Ages 7-18, the max should be a cup per day.
Also, the Academy says juice should be from a cup, not a box or a bottle. And no means, don't leave a "sippy-cup" for a child to suck on all day.
And if you have a child who won't drink water and insists on fruit juice, the advice is "let them eat fruit"—in other words, the real thing with all its fiber and other nutrients.
Dr. Dave Hnida is CBS4's Medical Editor. He blogs about the latest studies and trends in the health world. Read his latest blog entries, check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @drdavehnida
