Parents are often wondering at what age a child can be given juices. If you offer it too early or in large quantities, it will cause problems with digestion and skin. Juices also add calories, which makes the child eat less of the main food.
The truth is, babies don't need juices. Juices should not be given to children under 6 months of age. And it needs to be limited to 120 ml per day in children over 6 months old.
Side effects of drinking too much juices include skin rashes, decreased appetite, and even diarrhea.
How to inject the juice?
- Small amounts of juices can be offered for babies from 6 monthsif the volume of liquid is limited to 120 ml per day. The maximum amount of juice for children 12 months and older is up to 200 ml per day.
It is better to add water to reduce the sugar content.
Previously, it was recommended to give juice to babies as early as 3 months. Today it is considered incorrect and even dangerous introduction for a child.
- Do not pour juice into the bottle. The sugar in the juice can settle on the baby's teeth and lead to their destruction. This is because babies tend to drink slowly from the bottle. Offer juice only in a sippy mug or glass, and only water in bottles.
- Only give juice at the end of a meal. Have your child eat most of the main food, then offer juice. This will help to increase the proportion of nutrients without burdening the body with “empty” calories.
Giving your baby juice before meals reduces appetite.
- Use only 100% baby fruit juices. Check baby juice labels for sugar or fructose free. Many of them contain additives and extra sugar, which will increase the number of calories, decrease the baby's appetite and negatively affect the health.
- It is preferable to give the child fruit puree instead of juice.
- Increase your water intake in hot weather.
If your child is thirsty, give him more water.Water contains no calories. You can also use it to dilute fruit juice.
What should parents remember when administering the juice?
- juice can give your baby unnecessary calories. In this case, babies do not receive important vitamins, minerals and proteins during the main meal. If the child is not gaining weight normally, one of the solutions is to see how much juice he drinks;
- juice can cause early tooth decay. If you've heard the term bottle caries, know that it is caused by drinking sugary liquids from a bottle during the day or while sleeping. Sugar damages the delicate enamel on a child's teeth.
Always give juice only in a mug;
- Giving your child plenty of juice throughout the day can lead to bowel problems and diarrhea. Too much of it can increase intestinal motility. Although it can be helpful if the child is constipated;
- be careful with juices containing high fructose corn syrup. They are known to cause stomach upset, gas, and abdominal pain in infants. This is due to an immature digestive system that cannot digest these types of sugars;
- Never give juice that has not been pasteurized. These include freshly squeezed juices, not prepared by hand. Unpasteurized juices can contain very dangerous bacteria such as salmonella or E. coli. Infection of the infant with these bacteria can be fatal.
To help your child develop a taste for certain types of fruits and vegetables, you can offer apple and carrot juices.
Apple juice
Many parents are interested in how many months apple juice can be given to a baby. Although apple juice contains vitamin C, it does not provide any nutritional benefit for children under 6 months of age.
Do not start your first food with apple juice. It can be offered to babies over 6 months old, but its quantity should be limited.
Eating apple juice has no nutritional benefits over eating fruit.
Before giving apple juice to a baby, the baby's nutritional needs and development should be assessed.
Apple juice can neutralize constipation in babies because its sugars, liquids, and pectin have a mild laxative effect. Allowed from 30 to 60 ml of apple juice up to twice a day to facilitate the passage of stools through the intestines of the child.
While apple juice works great as a mild baby laxative, don't make the mistake of offering puree instead of juice. The higher the level of pectin fiber in applesauce, the higher its volume, so this apple product can worsen the condition of the baby's intestines.
Carrot juice
Everyone knows that carrots are healthy. Is there anything good in carrot juice for a baby?
Carrot juice for kids is packed with many vitamins and nutrients, it is low in fat and, unlike fruit juices, is not sour, which makes it comfortable for an immature baby's stomach.
While juice should never be given in place of a real vegetable or fruit, it can help provide your child with vitamins and minerals.
If a child is picky about food, refuses to eat vegetables, carrot juice will help get both vitamins and nutrients.
Although carrot juice is not very acidic, it is sometimes best to dilute it with water so it is not too concentrated for your child.
Carrot juice is an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients and does not contain as much sugar as many fruit juices.
When can you give carrot juice?
Carrot juice can be offered to a 6 month old baby. Give 60 to 120 ml daily.
It should be noted that carrot juice tastes sweet and too much juice can lead a child to prefer sugary foods. Your baby may refuse other drinks that do not taste sweet, such as formula or breast milk.
While carrot juice is good for infants, it should never replace formula or breast milk in a child's diet, as the infant gets its main nutrients from the mother's breast or formula until the first birthday.
Always consult your pediatrician about introducing new foods to your child. Specially discuss any foods that could pose a risk of allergies in your baby.
Offer your baby nutritious and vitamin-rich fruit and vegetable juices that will help your baby grow healthy. It will also help him shape his taste for various foods.
