The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) has recommended all parents to avoid giving fruit juice to children below the age of one. The group says that fruit juice does not benefit the toddlers despite popular notion that it is healthy for all.
The study, that was published on 22 May, strongly recommends whole fruit over fruit juice for children younger than one year to be included as part of their daily diet.
It is important to note that fruit juices are not equivalent to fruits in terms of their nutrient profiles. They lack the essential fibre of a whole fruit.
Enemy of the Teeth!
Fruit juices generally contain added sugars like sucrose, fructose, glucose and sorbitol, which increase the chances of tooth decay in young children.
The more children consume fruit juice, the more they are prone to dental issues. Due to this issue, parents have been advised not to let their children drink juice in bottles but instead to use cups, so that the children do not sleep with bottles in their mouth.
The study also breaks the common misconception that fruit juice helps treat dehydration or diarrhoea in infants.
The abnormal absorption of carbohydrates in fruit juices can cause ‘chronic diarrhea, flatulence, bloating, abdominal pain’ in infants, as per the report.
Parents have also been warned against giving ‘unpasteurised juice products’ to their children which might contain harmful infectious agents and cause serious ailments in children.
What Should Be Done?
Breast milk should be the only nutrient given to infants until six months of age. In cases where breast milk is not available, infant formula can be used to make up for the missing nutrients.
Fruit juice must not be given to infants at any cost, unless prescribed by the doctor. Children above the age of one should be given limited quantities of juice in small cups, not bottles.
The intake of fruit juice should be limited to 4 ounces in a day for children of ages one to three and between 4-6 ounces for ages four to six.
In cases of malnourished children, parents should seek a paediatrician’s advice to determine the right quantity of fruit juice to be given to the child.
Older children should be encouraged to consume whole fruits over fruit juices. Parents must also take special care to ensure that fruit juices are eliminated from their child’s diet if s/he is gaining weight abnormally.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)