Exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age is already a standard recommendation, and only after this period should new foods be introduced. Even though this is a recommendation from the World Health Organization, many pediatricians still advise starting solid foods before this timeframe, and it usually begins with fruit juice for the baby.

However, in 2012 the Brazilian Society of Pediatrics reached the end of a discussion and reached a consensus that offering fruit juice to babies under one year of age should be eliminated from pediatric recommendations. This decision is still little talked about and not all mothers are aware of this restriction or the reasons behind it, as many pediatricians continue recommending juice introduction as soon as the baby turns 6 months old—if not even earlier in some cases.

Juice Cannot Replace Whole Fruits

It’s hard to understand the reasons for the restriction since fruit juice seems so healthy—it’s natural, tasty, and easy for babies and children to accept and ingest. But the reasoning behind this restriction goes beyond these details, as many mothers stop offering fresh fruit to their baby or even replace meals with a bottle of juice.

The fact that babies are not being encouraged to chew was also a factor, in addition to the loss of vitamins and fiber found in whole fruit. Many pediatricians pointed out that mothers stopped offering water—which is fundamental and essential for human health—in exchange for fruit juice.

Combining all these points led to the conclusion that it should no longer be recommended to introduce juice to babies before they complete their first year of life. However, juice is not entirely forbidden, but it is recommended that its consumption be avoided, especially when the baby is starting to eat new foods.

Nutritional Perspective

Pediatric nutritionists who also participated in the discussion pointed out another important factor: childhood obesity. For example, to produce an adequate amount of orange juice, you need on average 2 to 3 oranges, resulting in a very high calorie load for a baby. This differs from eating the fruit itself, where you would typically offer at most half an orange.

The nutritionists’ perspective emphasizes the importance of developing chewing and swallowing, which can only be achieved by eating the fruit itself, since juice is easily swallowed with no effort. In addition, the taste, texture, and consistency of fruits are enjoyed and experienced by eating the fruit in pieces, quite different from juice. This also makes the baby’s adaptation to new foods even easier.

Can I Never Give Juice to My Baby?

The recommendation is not a total restriction—after all, giving juice to babies is not life-threatening—however, it is not indicated to offer juice as was previously done, as part of the baby’s daily menu as a way for them to consume fruit.

Fruit juice can still be offered to your baby as long as it does not replace whole fruit, nor entire meals, and certainly not water. According to the Pediatric Council, the best time to offer fruit juice is after meals, since the vitamin C in most fruits helps with the absorption of iron from foods such as beans and dark leafy vegetables. Consuming whole fruit also helps with the absorption of vitamins from other foods.

IMPORTANT: A valuable tip for keeping fiber in fruit juice is not to strain it. The fiber helps with babies’ slow-moving intestines, supporting digestion.

Industrialized Juices

Another important recommendation is that fruit juices should be prepared fresh at the time of consumption and not to offer industrialized juices, juice boxes, and especially not soda. If you have any questions about this topic, speak to your baby’s pediatrician and ask for guidance on what to do.

Many mothers, upon offering fresh fruit to their baby and seeing them immediately reject the taste—especially acidic fruits like pineapple—may want to try juice as an easier way for the child to accept it. However, pediatricians recommend that fruit should be offered several times until it is fully accepted and the baby gets used to the flavor.

Recommendations

Some recommendations for offering fruit juice:

  • Fruit juice should not be offered as a meal replacement and should never be sweetened;
  • Juice should not be given in a bottle—choose children’s cups or transition cups instead;
  • Juice is not recommended as a treatment for diarrhea or dehydration;
  • Excessive juice consumption increases abdominal bloating, diarrhea, and flatulence;
  • The consumption of fruit juice, especially at night, increases the chances of dental cavities.

Fruit juice for babies is only formally recommended for children over one year old. Even then, the amount should be controlled and limited to no more than 180 ml per day. Only after age 7 can daily consumption increase to between 200 and 350 ml, which is equivalent to two standard US cups a day.

See Also: Symptoms of Dehydration in Babies