Top U.S. docs says No fruit juice for kids under age 1

Binky? Yes. Fruit juice? No. If your baby is under 12 months old you shouldn’t feed them any fruit juice, according to a new, tougher recommendation from top pediatricians. The American Academy of Pediatricians previously okayed 100 percent fruit juice for infants at least 6 months old.

The group’s stricter guidelines, coauthored by Steven Abrams, M.D., chair of pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin, and published in Pediatrics, follows rising rates of obesity and tooth decay. It’s the first time the academy has revised juice guidelines since 2001.

“Water and low-fat milk are much better choices for most children,” Abrams noted. “We have to take a step back and realize that there are harmful consequences to children consuming large amounts of juice.”

It is still okay for children older than 1 year to drink fruit juice in small quantities — and limited to half of a child’s daily fruit consumption. AAP recommends fresh fruit, which has less sugar and more fiber than juice, as a healthier alternative for older children.