There has been a startling statement by American Academy of Pediatrics last month, stating that Fruit juice is not recommended in children below 1 year of age. This comes after stating the relationship with dental decay and other health related concerns such as weight gain and excessive intake of fruit juice.
In a statement in news release by Steven A. Abrams, M.D, said, “We know that excessive fruit juice can lead to excessive weight gain and tooth decay,” who is a co-author of the report. According to the report by AAP – It is not recommended to give any kind of juice to infants before 12 months of age and if given should be in limited amounts. The age group of 1-18 years also need to be monitored for the quantity of intake of the fruit juice consumed.
It is strictly not recommended to give toddlers (1-3 years) juice at bedtime or from bottles while lying down and given in bottles to the child to be consumed at their will. This will lead to increase in incidence of Caries such as Nursing Bottle caries or Rampant Caries due to constant exposure of teeth to sugary fluids throughout the day.
Dr. Valerie Peckosh, a pediatric dentist in Iowa and a member of the ADA Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention, applauded the statement, calling it a “strong message that fruit juice is not a necessary or even a desirable part of a healthy diet for young children.”
“We still have a lot of parents who think fruit juice is a health food and that their children need it,” said Dr. Peckosh. “Dentists may want to familiarize themselves with the new statement so they can counsel families on the appropriate use of fruit juices.”
With this statement from non other than AAP it is important for us Dentists to keep ourselves updated with the latest nutrition recommendations and nutrition screening, counselling and referral techniques to make sure that children do not get affected by caries at an early age. According to ADA House of Delegates resolution (Res. 60H-2016) it is important to raise inter professional awareness about the relationship between diet, nutrition and oral health by having a collaboration with dietitians and other nutrition experts.
To Read the Complete Report by American Academy of Pediatrics, visit this link – AAP Fruit Juice for children
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