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From 0 to 6 months approximately, breast milk or infant formula is the essential source of hydration for babies. At this time of life, children need one liter of fluid per day. In addition to hydrating them, milk provides them with all the necessary nutrients.
No fruit juice before food diversification
Doctor Laurence Plumey specifies that in case of extreme heat, fever or diarrhea, it is necessary to increase the water intake of babies and therefore give them water (up to 500 ml) between bottles of milk or feedings. Of course, in case of fever and / or diarrhea, it is essential to consult a pediatrician. Note also that a baby who needs water will drink, unlike the elderly in whom the feeling of thirst can disappear.
However, at one time, as Laurence Plumey explains, it was customary to give infants a little fruit juice, in addition to breastfeeding and first-age milk. The reason ? It was believed that milk did not provide babies with all the vitamin C they needed. It is now considered that this is no longer legitimate. We know, in fact, that a baby needs 40 to 50 mg per day of vitamin C. However, at the rate of 800 ml of breast or infant milk per day, its vitamin C needs are well covered. Fruit juice therefore has no legitimacy in terms of vitamin C.
When to give the first fruit juice for babies?
It is between 4 months and 6 months that babies will taste their first purees and compotes. This introduction of solid foods is accompanied by a drop in milk intake. We will thus go from 1 liter (or 800 ml) to 500 ml of breast milk or 2nd age milk. However, the child continues to need a liter of liquid per day so it is important to offer him, in addition, 500 ml of plain water.
Be careful, it is essential not to add anything to the water. The child does indeed no need to drink sweet and by giving him from an early age water with added sugar, it is very likely that he will subsequently refuse all pure water. In addition, for questions of overweight and dental problems (cavities, or even bottle-feeding syndrome), sugar water is not desirable.
What about fruit juice in all of this? We have seen previously that fruit juice is not “useful” compared to vitamin C. However, food diversification is synonymous. new tastes and new textures. For Doctor Laurence Plumey, it is rather in this logic that we can give, from time to time, a little fruit juice to toddlers. But, under no circumstances should fruit juice replace water, which is the benchmark drink for infants.
Fruit juices fall under the category of fruit. They are to be chosen without added sugars and containing only fruit sugar, unlike nectars and fruit drinks. Under these conditions, it is quite possible to replace a compote or a ripe fruit crushed by a fruit juice. For a 6 month old toddler, you can count 100 ml of fruit juice.
After the age of one year, the fruit juice will be placed in the alternative drinks category. The child can drink one or two glasses a day. It must be said that, very often, children prefer fruit juices. Fruit juice is the primary source of vitamin C for toddlers.
Baby fruit juice or not?
As Dr Laurence Plumey clearly explains, both small “salted” jars, which are manufactured according to strict regulations (very small amount of sugar, salt, etc.), have nothing to do with industrial dishes for adults, as much in the world of fruit juice, there is no legitimacy, neither nutritionally nor in terms of bacteriological safety, to offer a special baby fruit juice compared to a classic fruit juice. In the end, as a parent, we have three possibilities: to give a squeezed fruit, a 100% pure fruit juice or a special baby fruit juice.
What fruit juice for her baby?
To know at what time of day to give fruit juice to children, Dr Plumey offers three alternatives, while keeping in mind that the idea is to vary tastes and textures and that, therefore, fruit juices should not systematically replace fresh fruit and compotes.
Example for a 7 month old child :
Menu 1 :
Morning: bottle of milk
Fruit juice around 10 am-11am
Noon: small dish + dairy
Snack: bottle of milk
Dinner: small dish + compote
Menu 2 :
Morning: bottle of milk
Noon: small dish + dairy + fruit juice
Snack: bottle of milk
Dinner: small dish + compote (or fruit)
Menu 3 :
Morning: bottle of milk
Noon: small dish + ½ yogurt + compote or fruit
Snack: fruit juice + small Swiss
Dinner: bottle of milk + vegetable puree