Written by Editorial Team
For the first six months, your baby only needs breast milk or formula milk as the main source of nutrition. After six months, you can introduce diluted fruit juices and vegetable juices to their diet. One of the most popular fruit juice options is Apple Juice. But, is apple juice safe for babies?
We know that apple juice contains vitamin C, but it provides no nutritional benefit for babies under 6 months. Babies over 6 months can have a limited amount of apple juice. But keep in mind to assess the nutritional needs and growth of your baby before you offer her apple juice.
Whether apple juice is “unsafe” for your child is still debatable as there are contradicting views on this question. However, introducing juices, including apple juice, might not really be a great idea for your babies. There are some reasons why:
Infants younger than six months should ideally be on a breastfeed or infant formula diet. All the nutrition the child requires can be obtained from either of these two sources. So, nutritionally, there is no need to give apple juice to your child. The only exception to this rule is if your child is constipated, it is alright to give him/her a small amount of prune juice to help with bowel movement.
It is not just about what they are taking in, it is also about what they are not taking in. If you give your baby apple juice, he will take in less breast milk than usual because he is full. This is not advisable because breast milk is the most important source of nutrients and energy at this age. And anything that interferes with breastfeeding should be avoided.
There is a high concentration of sugar in juices, especially store-bought ones. And if your baby is having apple juice from his bottle, then the chances of the sugar lingering in his mouth, thereby causing tooth decay is very high. Make sure not to introduce juice to the baby until the baby is able to use a sippy cup or a normal glass. To know easy useful ways to prevent baby bottle tooth decay click here.
Research has indicated that the high sugar content, juices increase the probability of diabetes later in life.
Research also indicates that children who drink as low as 300 ml of juice daily are 60 percent more likely to be obese later on. Even in babies, juices can lead to excessive weight gain and diaper rash.
Babies who drink a lot of juices, especially apple juices are known to have loose bowel movements and diarrhea.
Many parents reach out for store-bought canned juices for their kids. Now a few years ago such juices came in the light of controversy when a popular medical TV host claimed that canned juices contain high levels of arsenic. Most government-funded administrations came forward to rubbish this claim. They claim the arsenic found in canned juices is “within permissible levels” and “harmless and inorganic in nature”.
However, later studies indicated that the original claim was indeed true and the arsenic found in some juices is carcinogenic in nature. The verdict is still out on this one, but we think this is a good enough reason to stay away from store-bought juices (not to mention their high sugar content).
Here is what you need to do if you are considering giving your baby apple juice:
If you plan to give fruit juice to your child, make sure that you make it a part of their meal or snack. Don’t make it a habit for your child to sip the juice throughout the day or don’t use it as a way to pacify your unhappy infant or child. Consuming apple juice has no dietary value over eating fruits. So, encourage your infants to eat whole fruits that are mashed or pureed.
Good luck!
Yes, you can. It is safe. It is easy to digest too.
No, it is not recommended. You should avoid adding sugar to your baby’s diet till they are 1-year-old. Fruit juices are best given without adding anything.
Yes, it can. Fruit juices are stripped of the essential fiber. The fructose can decay teeth.
Yes, you can. Apple juice has a gentle laxative effect. This can help relieve constipation.
Read Also: Baby’s First Food Apple Puree
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