What to Know
- It's the first change in American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on fruit juice since 2001
- The new policy advises parents give no juice at all to children before age 1 unless there's a strong clinical basis for it
- Kids 1-3 should have a max of 4 ounces daily, while kids 4-6 should have no more than 6 ounces. Kids 7+ should have 8 ounces max
Children younger than the age of 1 should not have any fruit juice — apple, pear, grape or otherwise — in their diets, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The academy says that while some fortified fruit juices may provide vitamins, they lack the fiber and protein critical for growth and can lead to excessive weight gain and tooth decay.
The policy statement released Monday and published in the June issue of the journal "Pediatrics," is the first change in recommendations on fruit juice since 2001. The 2001 policy, reaffirmed in 2006, recommended no fruit juice for kids younger than 6 months, 4 to 6 ounces daily for children between ages 1 and 6 and 8 to 12 ounces for kids 7 and older.
"Since then, however, considerable concern has been expressed about increasing obesity rates and risks for dental caries," the statement says.
The new policy advises parents give no juice at all to children before age 1 unless "there is a strong clinical basis for it in the management of constipation." The threshold has also increased: a maximum of 4 ounces daily for kids 1 to 3, 4 to 6 ounces for children ages 4 to 6 and 8 ounces for children 7 and older. Rather than juice, AAP says parents should give their children whole fruits and emphasize water and milk.
"The policy clarifies that there is virtually no role for juice during the first year of life and that expensive juice products designed specifically for infants are not of value," the AAP statement said. "When juice is served to older toddlers, it is important that it not be sipped throughout the day or used to calm an upset child."
