Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
Children younger than one year should not be given full-strength fruit juice according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The doctors believe there’s no role for fruit juice during the first year. The shocking rise in obesity and cavities prompted the new policy.
Previously, full-strength fruit juice wasn’t recommended for children younger than 6 months. There were exceptions such as in the case of constipation.
Now, they say to gradually increase the amount of juice according to the kid’s age.
- From 1 to 3, it’s a half a cup;
- For those 3 to 6, it’s a bit more than half a cup, and
- For 7-year olds, no more than a cup a day.
There goes the convenient snack and lunch making.
I knew that orange juice, our kid’s favorite, was way too sweet and thick for him, but I liked the vitamin C, so I diluted it by 50%. He loved it.
By the way, the doctors don’t recommend those expensive baby-specific juice products, either.
Claudia
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