Which statement reflects the guidance on giving fruit juice to infants?

Which statement reflects the guidance on giving fruit juice to infants?

• A. Start fruit juice at 3 months
• B. Start fruit juice at 9 months
• C. Wait to give fruit juice until 6 months of age
• D. Offer fruit juice with every meal

Answer: (C)

Infants should not be given fruit juice before six months of age. In the first six months, babies get all their nutrition from breast milk or formula, which meets their needs for calories, protein, and iron. Juice adds sugar without providing essential nutrients and can fill a tiny stomach, potentially displacing milk feeds and iron intake. It can also irritate the gut and raise the risk of diarrhea, and after teeth come in, frequent juice exposure increases the chance of dental decay. Therefore, the recommended guidance is to wait until about six months before introducing fruit juice, and if you do introduce it, keep portions small and avoid giving juice in a bottle. The other timings either push juice in too early or too late and don’t align with standard feeding guidance.

Infants should not be given fruit juice before six months of age. In the first six months, babies get all their nutrition from breast milk or formula, which meets their needs for calories, protein, and iron. Juice adds sugar without providing essential nutrients and can fill a tiny stomach, potentially displacing milk feeds and iron intake. It can also irritate the gut and raise the risk of diarrhea, and after teeth come in, frequent juice exposure increases the chance of dental decay. Therefore, the recommended guidance is to wait until about six months before introducing fruit juice, and if you do introduce it, keep portions small and avoid giving juice in a bottle. The other timings either push juice in too early or too late and don’t align with standard feeding guidance.