Giving Fruit Juice For Babies

Can I Give Fruit Juice To My Infant For Constipation?

If your baby is over the age of 6 months, you can offer your baby a beaker or a cup of fruit juice. If the baby is younger than 6 months, you must consult the pediatrician before offering fruit juice to her.

Can I Give Homemade Fruit Juice To My Little One?

Though homemade juice cannot be 100% pasteurized, and the likelihood of pathogens is there, make sure you follow optimum hygiene routines if you are making fruit juice for your little one. Ensure that the fruit is fresh, cleaned, washed, and not overripe.

The processor or blender used should also be clean, preferably the blades are boiled. If the fruit has seeds (like melon) de-seed the fruit first before making the juice. Adding salt, sugar, or chat masala may not be good for the baby’s digestive system so let her enjoy the natural taste of fruit juice.

Fruit squashes should not be offered to babies due to their sweetener content. Always taste the food (juice, fruit, or anything) before you give it to the baby.

10 Tips When Giving Fruit Juices To Baby

If you want to give juices to your baby, follow the given safety measures:

1. If offering packaged fruit juice Give 100% pasteurized juice to your baby. Avoid giving fruit drinks, squashes, and other such liquids.
2. Go for seasonal fruits or vegetables rather than choosing packaged cold stored ones
3. Do not give juices in a bottle at bedtime, offer it in a cup to your baby during meal times. Drinking juice before bedtime or in a bottle increases the risk of tooth decay
4. 3-4 ounces of juice per day are sufficient for your baby. Giving more juice may reduce her appetite for other foods
5. Dilute the juice well by mixing one part of juice with ten parts of water. Diluted juice helps the body to absorb iron from the food
6. Offer one fruit juice at a given time, and mix the flavors gradually
7. Opt for fruit and vegetable juice combos like carrot-apple, and tomato-carrot so that your baby gets all necessary nutrients. If you offer her fruit juice first, she might detest the vegetable juice owing to the sweet taste of the fruit juice
8. Never give chilled or cold juices to the baby, serve juice to your baby at room temperature
9. Never keep prepared juice for more than 10-15 minutes as it may develop harmful bacteria
10. Do not force your baby on any particular juice if she does not like it at all

Can Fruit Juices Cause Dental Problems In My Infant?

Fruit juices do contain sugar, which needs to be controlled as exposure to sugar can cause dental problems in your baby. Undernourishment can also happen as babies tend to like the sweet taste of juice and refuse to have other foods. Sugars in juice can also result in obesity in children from a very young age.

Since fruits are generally considered healthy, parents tend to ignore the harmful effects of fruit juice sugars. Fruit juice should never be given to a baby in a bottle at nap times as this can result in dental decay. Always wipe your baby’s gums, and teeth with a soft washcloth after giving her fruit juice.

Can Fruit Juice Be Harmful To My Infant?

Giving too much fruit juice to babies may harm them in the following ways:

• If a child drinks, juices excessively, she/he does miss out on many essential vitamins, minerals, or nutrients presented in other foods. It may cause anemia or malnutrition
• Too much apple juice may lead to loss of bowel movements or diarrhea
• Fruit juices that contain a high level of fructose may result in gas, stomach problems, and restlessness in babies
• Sugar in fruit juice can result in dental caries

At first, you can try feeding your baby by steaming the fruits so as to get rid of pesticides. Once your baby is used to the taste and does not show any reaction or allergies, you can go for raw fruit juices straight from the blender.