For years Pediatricians and Pediatric Dentists alike have been warning parents of the consequences of giving your child a glass full of fruit juice at a young age. Concerns have been raised about increasing dental decay and obesity.
As a Pediatric Dental office we can’t stress to parents enough about the harmful effects that fruit juice can have on your child’s teeth. We were elated when the American Academy of Pediatrics released their new recommendation of not giving fruit juice to your child under the age of one.
“The policy clarifies that there is virtually no role for juice during the first year of life and that expensive juice products designed specifically for infants are not of value.”
This article has loads of helpful information about juice and much more.
Dr. Port agrees…but there could be more done
Dr. Port spoke with a local pediatrician and this pediatrician felt that the new AAP recommendation did not go far enough. She said she wants it to be modified further to include pop and sports drinks and not just juice. She also felt that her colleagues in the AAP could add information about sippy cups and how constant sipping of sugary drinks can lead to increased risk of decay. So while this new recommendation is a step in the right direction there is still more that can be done to prevent dental decay. Check out our blog posts for more information in the future.
Please call our office if you have any questions or concerns.