Does Baby Need Juice or Water  

Babies drink mainly milk for the first year of life.  But, when baby is allowed to drink other things, what should you give them?  Is juice okay or should baby continue to drink water and milk? 

The debate over juice and water has resurfaced in the last few years.  Some researchers are looking for a link between juice drinking and obesity among children.  Young people are consuming excess calories through liquid refreshment and adding unnecessary pounds. 

Fruit juices provide valuable nutrients for baby’s diet.  These nutrients include vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, iron, potassium, and magnesium.  The majority of these essential nutrients are found in 100% fruit juice.   

Parents should read the labels on all juice they are considering for their little one.  Unless it says 100% fruit juice, it only contains five to twenty-five percent fruit juice per bottle.  The other 75 -90 percent is composed of mostly sugar.  Not exactly healthy for your baby is it?  Even 100% juice should be diluted in a 1:1 ratio for baby.  This cuts the amount of sugar content which could ultimately affect developing teeth.  

Babies should drink twelve or less ounces of juice per day.  The younger they are, the less juice they need to drink.  The same nutrients that are provided by juice can come from pureed fruits without the extra sugar and additives.  This is a much healthier way to get your baby the vitamins and nutrients their growing body needs without all the extra junk it doesn’t. 

The human body is composed of ninety percent water and our blood includes a component of water.  Drinking water is like giving our body an internal shower.  Increased hydration clears the skin and gives it a healthy glow too.  Babies urinate regularly when there is adequate water in the body and therefore you can use this as a sign of whether or not your little one is receiving enough water. 

Water is always needed by the body.  For babies, their breast milk and formula contains plenty of water.  If you are out and the weather is warm, giving baby a bottle of water is one way to help keep them cool and refreshed.  Extreme heat can cause milk to sour on baby’s stomach and therefore extremely high temperatures should be avoided whenever possible to keep baby’s tummy from becoming upset. 

As long as baby is feeding regularly, they are getting enough water.  When solid foods are introduced, a four ounce bottle of water twice a day will supplement the solid food intake.  Keep in mind, water is thinner than formula so encourage baby to drink slower to avoid choking.  You can help by giving baby his or her water after feeding so they don’t gulp it down due to hunger. 

It has been proposed that fruit juices are not good for kids, but studies do not prove this fact at this time.  One hundred percent juice is okay for baby but should be combined with water.  As long as an excess of juice is not drank, baby gets the nutrients without the extra sugar or weight gain and benefits from both juice and water.  

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