When can you give a Baby Juice?

At what age is it appropriate to give a baby juice?

It is safe to give juice to children 4 months and older. The bigger question is, “Should you give your child juice?”.

Juice is predominantly sugar. Children seem to quickly enjoy and even crave juice. In pediatrics, excess juice intake is a common nutritional cause of poor growth. Juice seems to be enough to quench an child’s hunger, but it not enough to help them grow. Children simply do not need juice.

One of our older children became “juice addicted” at a toddler. She would drink two glasses of juice in the morning and completely skip breakfast. She learned to stand at the fridge and beg. The begging ended only after we quit buying apple juice. Months later, we re-introduced juice without any problems.

When children are constipated, I often recommend apple or white grape juice. I prefer to start with dietary modification before initiating medications. When using juice to help alleviate constipation do not mix it with water. The sugars in juice draw in extra water into the intestines and lead to softer stools.

At our home, we prefer to wait to 9 to 12 months before introducing juice as a regular part of our diet. We restrict juice to 2 to 6 ounces a day at breakfast.

Written January 2012 by
Dr. Gordon, Orlando Pediatrician