Pediatricians now recommend no fruit juice for children under age of one

The group had previously recommended that parents wait until a child is six months old before introducing fruit juice to the diet.

The Academy’s new policy Fruit Juice in Infants, Children and Adolescents: Current Recommendations builds on the original but considers the evidence released since then.

Abrams explained that the adjustment in the guidelines were not made based on “some magical new science”, but rather “this (guideline) hadn’t been looked at in a long time, so we thought it was time to take a close look”.

Fruit drinks do not have the same value as fruit juice, the pediatricians note, and doctors may prescribe fruit juice in some instances.

“At the end of the day, it’s about instilling good eating habits in kids”, Abrams said.

The academy also recommends that parents limit fruit juices to no more than four ounces a day for children between the ages of one and three.

And for children 7 to 18, they say eight ounces per day.

Samantha Montgomery, a dietitian at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said a healthy diet for older children can include some juice, but whole fruit is superior.

And just because it might say “natural” on the label, that doesn’t mean it’s 100 percent fruit juice.

This is the first time the policy has been updated since 2001 and the new statement will be published in the June issue of Pediatrics.

If your child is going to consume fruit, it should be whole fruit rather than juice because at least the fiber in a piece of whole fruit helps make it healthier and keep your kid feeling full, experts say.

Juice is the most popular beverage for kids and teens. “High sugar content in juice contributes to increased calorie consumption and the risk of (cavities)”. “It doesn’t have any other calories, it doesn’t have any fiber in it, no protein”.

“We don’t need to be giving them juice to replenish fluids”, she said. But in most cases, liquids should be restricted to breast milk, formula or water. Finally, pediatricians are encouraged to advocate for policies that reduce consumption of fruit juice in favor of increasing availability and thus consumption of whole fruits and vegetables.

Though there may be pros and cons for different juices, the pediatric academy does not favor one juice over another.

Dr Abrams also warns against juices marketed with added benefits of vitamins. For example, the committee promoted advocating for a reduction in fruit juice in the diets of young children, as well as a complete elimination in children with abnormal (poor or excessive) weight gain. The advisory board argues that kids should avoid drinking it.