We drink juices correctly. When is it better to give your child juice, what kind and how much: useful tips

Juices play a role in a child’s diet important role. With their help, you can enrich the baby’s body with vitamins and minerals, increase immunity, improve appetite, and diversify the baby’s menu. When and what juices can you give your child? From what month should infants be offered juices? How to cook delicious and healthy drink from berries or fruits yourself?

Earlier is not better

For a long time, pediatrics have used the practice of introducing juices into the diet of infants from three months. Doctors recommended starting your acquaintance with them with a few drops and quickly increasing the dose of the drink. The argument in favor of this practice was that even a small amount of the drink will have a positive effect on the child, saturating his body with useful vitamins. It was not regulated until how many months it was necessary to introduce juice into the menu, but the main thing was to start as early as possible.

Today, this approach is subject to severe criticism, and doctors advise starting to give children juices no earlier than 9-10 months, and better - after a year. This caution is explained by the fact that drinks of this type contain vitamins and sugar in concentrated form, so they are too heavy for a fragile child’s body. Their use can cause metabolic disorders and worsen the state of work. gastrointestinal tract. The main danger of early introduction of such complementary foods is food allergies, which pose a serious threat to infants.

Rules for introducing juices into a baby's diet

A healthy child can start giving fruit and berry drinks from 9 months, carefully monitoring the baby’s reaction to new ingredients. Perfect for first juices apples, then pears, much later - a beetroot analogue should appear on the menu. Exotic fruits, as well as red berries, are not recommended for these purposes. How many months this ban will exist depends on the baby’s health condition.

At first, the child can only be given one-component formulations. When the baby is already familiar with the individual ingredients, they can be combined in one drink. It should not be used for homemade juices. If desired, it can be replaced with fructose.

Concentrated freshly squeezed formulations have high acidity, so for children under 12 months they can be diluted with purified water.

The maximum dose of a natural drink that can be offered to a child up to 12 months is 100 ml.

Parents should control the quality of fruits and berries when preparing their own compositions for the child. If factory drinks are used, you must read the composition especially carefully.

Important! Most juices say that they are recommended for children from 3 months. This information is purely commercial in nature and has no medical basis.

Apple juice

This is the first juice that can be given to an infant. Apples of any variety are suitable for its preparation, but it is better to give preference green fruits. They contain more iron, so they have a beneficial effect on the child’s immunity and increase hemoglobin levels.

Apple juice also improves digestion and saturates the body with potassium, boron, and magnesium. It is useful to drink for systematic constipation, anemia, and vitamin deficiency. Apple juice can be prepared in a juicer, or you can grate the fruit on a fine grater and squeeze out the resulting mixture.

carrot juice

Carrot juice is beneficial due to large quantity vitamin A. Its benefits for the child’s body are based on the ability to influence in a positive way improves vision, strengthens the immune system, and makes bones strong. Carrot juice is often called a “growth vitamin.”

To prepare it, peeled carrots need to be soaked for several hours (this will make the fibers more tender). Then grate or grind with a blender and squeeze out the liquid. Carrot juice without pulp is suitable for babies. For older children, you can add a little vegetable oil(it promotes better absorption of vitamin A). Carrot juice can be given to infants from 10-11 months.

Beet juice

Beetroot juice can be prepared for a baby when he suffers from constipation. The drink is prepared similarly to all other juices. It is introduced into the baby’s diet as a therapeutic vitamin preparation and is offered in strictly limited doses. The baby should be given beetroot juice, diluted clean water. The taste of the drink is not very pleasant, so it is often prepared with other ingredients; carrots, lemon, berries.

Beetroot juice is useful:

1. for blood diseases (increases the level of red blood cells)
2. in the presence of waste and toxins (delicately cleanses all body systems)
3. due to the content of lipotropin (beet juice is effective for overweight, obesity, which can also be diagnosed in infants)
4. lowers blood pressure
5. at coronary disease hearts
6. For thyroid gland(beet juice is rich in iodine)

You can make this drink from fresh beets or by steaming them a little in a double boiler. Due to its specific taste, not every child will agree to drink it. How much juice to offer your baby depends on his health and age.

You should stop drinking this drink in cases where your baby is diagnosed with increased acidity, available diabetes, urolithiasis disease, kidney diseases.

Medicinal juices

Aloe

Juices of many medicinal plants used in medical purposes. Breastfeeding can be used to effectively cure a runny nose. Such improvised drops not only have no contraindications, unlike most medications, but also demonstrate a truly good effect. There are many capillaries in the nasal mucosa, so aloe juice is quickly absorbed and begins to act. Aloe relieves swelling, clears the airways, improves the child’s well-being, while strengthening his immunity.

To prepare the aloe composition you need:

1. select the fleshy leaves and wash them thoroughly
2. wrap in a napkin and place the aloe in the refrigerator for 12 hours
3. grind the leaves using a blender and squeeze (what volume you get depends on the type of plant)

Place a diluted aloe preparation into the baby's nose in a ratio of 1:3, 3-6 drops each. When the child’s condition improves, reduce the number of drops and continue the procedure until complete recovery. How many drops to use depends on how painlessly the baby tolerates the therapy.

Kalanchoe

Another plant useful for medicinal purposes is Kalanchoe. Drops are also prepared from it to help with a runny nose. Kalanchoe is effective as:

1. broad-spectrum immunomodulatory drug
2. moisturizing substance for the nasal mucosa (how many drops to use depends on the age of the baby)
3. bactericidal and antiviral substance of natural origin
4. antihistamine (Kalanchoe is used in the treatment of allergies)

Drops from Kalanchoe cause increased sneezing, so the baby’s nasal mucosa quickly clears itself.

An adult Kalanchoe (over three years old, untreated) is suitable for preparing drops. chemical compounds). The juice is squeezed out of Kalanchoe leaves and placed in a narrow glass container (so that it can be easily removed with a pipette). The solution should be stored in the refrigerator. When you need to use it, you need to warm the bottle a little in warm water. You can prepare such a composition for the winter, when infectious diseases are actively spreading.

Winter preparations for kids

For the winter, a lot of fruits and berries are usually preserved (which ones depends on the specific region). Some of them are prepared in the form of juices. Which of them can be prepared for infants?

The juice is stored for a long time due to heat treatment and high sugar content. These will not do any good for the child. If you want to preserve fruits and berries from your garden, it is better to choose the freezing method. For the winter, in this way, you can start harvesting cherries, apricots, cherries, and raspberries in the summer. They retain more vitamins than ready-made compotes and juices. You can also stock up on pumpkin for the winter: it stores well and produces flavor and healthy juice.

Juices are among the products widely used in the nutrition of children in the first year of life. The question of the optimal timing of introducing juice as complementary foods is still not closed. Fruit juices cannot fully replace feedings breast milk or a mixture, therefore they do not belong to the main complementary foods.

For many years in Russia, fruit juices were recommended to be introduced into the diet from 3-4 weeks of age, but a number of clinical observations revealed that children do not tolerate juices well at this age. This fact forced us to conduct research aimed at substantiating the optimal timing of introducing juices into the diet of children in the first year of life.

With the early introduction of juices, some children may experience both allergic reactions and dyspeptic disorders (diarrhea), intestinal colic, indigestion, the appearance of mucus and greens in the stool, as a manifestation of inflammation and intestinal irritation due to insufficient maturity of enzyme systems.

Fruit juices are naturally high in sugar, and early (before 4 months) introduction of fruit juices, as well as delayed introduction (before 6 months), have been shown to increase the risk of diabetes.

Timing of juice introduction

Juices and fruit purees are not yet complementary foods, but an additive to dairy nutrition in order to correct the vitamin and mineral composition of the diet infant. When introducing juice and other complementary foods, the principle of individuality must be observed, depending on the child’s health status.

IN last years got an idea of ​​the possibility choosing an individual introduction date for each child (from 4 to 6 months) depending on his maturity, but not earlier than 4 months. Correction of children's nutrition in more early dates up to 4–6 months using juices, cottage cheese, yolk is considered obsolete.

For children who are exclusively breastfed (that is, receiving only mother's milk, even without additional liquid), juices, like other types of complementary foods, should be included in the diet no earlier than 6 months.

Children on mixed and limited breastfeeding, juice can be administered from 4 months of age.

Children who are on artificial feeding, juice is introduced no earlier than the 4th month of life.

Which juices to start complementary feeding with?

Juices can be made from one or two types of fruit, or from a mixture of fruits and vegetables. Juices are clarified and with pulp. Juices with pulp are introduced later than clarified ones, but they contain plant fibers that stimulate intestinal motility. This may be a way to treat constipation. Basic rules when using juices:

1. The label indicates the minimum age of a child at which this juice can be used, but it is not necessary to start giving it to children at this time; it can be later, but not earlier.
2. You should always start with juices made from one fruit, preferably an apple (clarified apple juice without sugar) or a pear with a reduced content of starch, sugar or no sugar. It is not recommended to start introducing juices from grape, carrot and exotic fruits (mango, papaya, etc.).
3. It is impossible to introduce several types of juices at the same time, since in this case it is difficult to determine which of them the child reacted to.
4. After introducing single-component juices, you can begin to introduce multi-component juices, but it is better to do this after 7 months of life.
5. Remember that tomato, carrot, grape, strawberry, orange and juices from forest berries belonging to the number of products with a high potential allergenicity, that is, they most often cause allergic reactions and should not be given to a child earlier than 6–7 months.
6. By introducing fruit or vegetable juice, you can correct the nature of the child’s stool: beetroot, pumpkin, peach, apricot, and plum juice have a laxative effect; such juices are introduced into the diet if there is a tendency to constipation. Blueberry, carrot, apple, and pear have a fixing effect.

To avoid irritating the immature mucous membrane of the child’s stomach and intestines It is recommended to dilute any juices with boiled water in a ratio of 1:2.

How to properly introduce juice into complementary foods

The introduction of juices into a child’s diet should begin with juice from one type of fruit, to eliminate possible intolerance. First, they accustom the child to single-component juices, and only then introduce juices from a mixture of fruits and vegetables, to which the child is already accustomed, or containing one type of juice that is new to the child.

Preference should be given to products made from hypoallergenic fruit varieties without added sugar.

To prevent indigestion, the introduction of juice into a child’s diet should begin with drops:

• 1 day – 2-3 drops of juice;
• Day 2 – 4-6 drops of juice;
• Day 3 - 0.5 teaspoon, etc.

Juice is offered to the child BEFORE breastfeeding or formula feeding in the first half of the day, during morning feeding. During the day, it is necessary to monitor the body’s reaction to the new product, the condition of the skin and stool. If negative consequences is not observed, then every day the portion of administered juice increases slightly to the age norm (up to 30–50 ml of juice by the age of 5–6 months and up to 100 ml at the end of the first year). The approximate amount of juice for a child of the first year of life is calculated based on 10 ml/kg body weight.

If symptoms such as redness of the skin, abdominal pain, and abnormal bowel movements appear, this type of juice should be discontinued. The reaction to juice may appear delayed, that is, with an increase in its volume. The next type of juice can be introduced only after this one has been completely introduced.

In case of food allergies, juices are administered after complementary feeding with vegetables, and for children with reduced body weight, as well as in case of dyspeptic symptoms (regurgitation, bloating and abdominal pain, flatulence, diarrhea, etc.), juice is administered only after feeding with porridge.

When the baby gets used to the juice and drinks it with pleasure, and the amount of juice served increases, it is better to give it after meals as a tasty addition to the main meal.

Which juice to buy for complementary feeding

Depending on the method of production and processing of fruits and vegetables, juices can be directly pressed or reconstituted. Directly pressed juice produced by mechanical processing of directly fresh or preserved fresh vegetables and fruits. Reconstituted juice produced from concentrated juice or concentrated juice and directly pressed juice and drinking water. Thus, the production of directly pressed juice is a seasonal production, while reconstituted juice can be produced at any time of the year. Directly pressed juices have a richer taste.

Any juice commercially available must comply Technical regulations for juice products from fruits and vegetables Customs Union(TR TS 023/2011). The regulations say that fruit pulp and puree can be added to the juice. When making juices for baby food, the use of artificial colors, synthetic and natural-identical flavors is not allowed. food additives, with the exception of citric and ascorbic acids. Blended juice is produced by mixing two or more different juices and/or juices and fruit (vegetable) purees. Juice canning can only be done using physical methods.

Juice products for complementary feeding from fruits and (or) vegetables for young children should be produced in packages of no more than 0.35 liters.

One of the most controversial issues in the issue of baby nutrition is the introduction of juices into the diet. Sources and experts have different opinions on this matter. The development and health status of each baby is very individual, so the decision when it is best to give the child juice is made by the parents themselves. Before doing this, it is advisable to study materials on this issue and consult a pediatrician.

When parents decide to introduce a new food to their baby, they face a number of problems. The variety of fruit drinks makes them think about which juices can be given to a child and which ones should be avoided. There is an approximate diagram of the sequence of introducing drinks into the children's diet, which you can follow without fear for the baby's health.

1.At 3 months:

• clarified, made from green apples.

2. At 4–5 months:

1. bleached pear;
2. apricot;
3. peach;
4. carrot;
5. pumpkin;
6. banana.

3. From 6 months to one year:

1. combined: apple + apricot, apple + peach, carrot + orange, apple + pumpkin, apple + celery;
2. cherry;
3. cranberry;
4. from cherry;
5. from black currant;
6. plum;
7. beet;
8. cabbage.

4. You should be careful with allergenic juices, which should be given to babies as a last resort:

1. citrus fruits (orange, tangerine, grapefruit);
2. raspberry;
3. tomato;
4. strawberry;
5. grape (introduced last).

If a child has any diseases, parents should consult a pediatrician and give him those juices that will alleviate his condition. So, for example, for constipation, you need to drink a beetroot or plum drink, for anemia - apple, pear, apricot or peach.

From what age?

Regarding when to give juices infant, there are many opinions, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages:

• from 3 months: for a long time it was believed that at this age it is apple juice that increases hemoglobin in the blood of an infant, but this argument is refuted, since iron is practically not absorbed by a small organism from this kind of product;
• from 4 months the pancreas begins to produce enzymes to process more serious food than breast milk;
• from 6 months- this age is recommended by most pediatricians;
• from 8 or 9 months: you can now safely introduce apple juice into;
• after a year: There are experts who claim that a small body can fully process such drinks only at this age.

If the baby has already had symptoms of allergies, it is better to postpone such complementary foods to a later period. If there are no abnormalities in his condition, this can be done earlier. If you are still not sure when to start giving your child juice, it is better to consult a doctor.

How to introduce juices into a child's diet?

In addition to age and type of drinks, there are a number of rules that should be followed to make the introduction of juices a pleasant event in the baby’s life. Parents should note that:

1. You can give the juice immediately after morning feeding;
2. on the first day of introducing the drink into baby food, you need to give the baby just a few drops, and then during the day, very carefully monitor the reaction of his body: is there any diarrhea or excessive regurgitation, excessive rumbling of the stomach; if such symptoms are present, complementary feeding should be stopped and returned to it later;
3. The scheme for introducing juice into the baby’s diet is simple: in the first week - half a teaspoon per day, in the second week - a whole teaspoon, in the third week - 2 teaspoons per day;
4. two weeks after the first complementary feeding, you can start giving mixed drinks, which have the highest nutritional value;
5. the daily dose by one year should be about 50–60 ml, which can be given an hour and a half before the second feeding;
6. It is better to start complementary feeding with industrially produced drinks, the cans of which indicate that they belong to baby food and the age at which they can be introduced is determined;
7. Concentrated juices should not be given: it is better to dilute them with water in a 50/50 ratio;
8. juices with pulp can be given after a year;
9. natural drinks homemade It is recommended to administer from one and a half years and no more than 200 ml per day;
10. Store-bought regular juices are only allowed for children over three years of age.

Dangers of Early Introduction

Today, many doctors speak out against giving juice to babies under one year of age. They support this opinion with a number of reasons. negative consequences such early feeding:

• juices have a bad effect on the functioning of the stomach and disrupt the normal digestion process;
• they can cause allergies;
• fruit drinks contain a lot of sugar, so children, having become accustomed to sweets, may subsequently refuse healthy food- porridges and soups;
• they do not satisfy the baby's need for daily norm vitamins and microelements.

Before introducing juice into a child’s regular diet, every parent should understand for himself that there is nothing healthier and tastier than mother’s milk. Therefore, all doctors advise young mothers, if they have milk, not to rush into complementary feeding before 6 months.

With the birth of a baby, parents have many questions about proper and healthy feeding. There is advice from friends, relatives, and acquaintances floating around: some say that juices can be given already in the first month after birth, others, on the contrary, are against this drink for up to a year. In any case, you need to take into account the fact that all babies are completely different, and it is impossible to predict how the body will react. In any case, you should consult with your pediatrician when apple juice can be given to your baby.

Modern doctors do not recommend introducing juices into complementary foods too early. Despite the fact that these drinks are indeed healthy and nutritious, it is better to be late with the introduction than to hurry. During the first months, he receives all the necessary substances and vitamins for the baby’s growth and health promotion through mother’s milk. It should be remembered that the juice contains acid, which can injure the baby’s fragile stomach; first, you should introduce him to such a treat as porridge. They are more harmless than nectars and also have nutritional properties.

There are situations when the mother does not have milk or has very little milk. In this case, the child does not receive proper nutrition and naturally remains hungry. Then we have to switch him to artificial complementary feeding. When a child is kept on such a diet, the gastrointestinal tract is better prepared for complementary feeding various types(cereals, juices, vegetables, fruits) and more early stage than with breastfeeding. Of course, nothing can replace mother’s natural breast milk; there is nothing better for the health, strengthening of the child’s body and immunity.

When breastfeeding, it is better to start feeding with vegetable purees. They are lighter and more easily digestible. Homemade purees made without sugar and salt will be the healthiest. Having assessed the baby’s reaction, you can proceed to the next step - introducing juice into the diet.

Pediatricians will tell you which juice to start complementary feeding with, but traditionally clarified nectars from green apples are given first.

When introducing juices and purees, it is necessary to carefully monitor the baby’s body reaction. If there are negative aspects, such as rash, itching, redness, indigestion, immediately stop giving these products and consult a specialist.

It is necessary to correctly introduce permitted foods into the baby’s diet, thereby he will receive a lot of benefits. :

• improve digestion,
• strengthen the immune system,
• increase appetite,
• fill the body with useful minerals, vitamins, acids,
• remove harmful substances from the body,
• have a positive impact on work cardiovascular system,
• improve your mood and give you more strength.

The first two to three months after the birth of the child better nutrition for him is breast milk. The baby is growing, the ventricle is strengthening, and accordingly, it can process more complex products than milk. In addition, it alone is no longer enough for the further development of the body. From now on, you can give your baby porridge, purees, and juices to try while breastfeeding.

First treats

How to introduce juice into complementary foods? This drink should be given to babies gradually in small doses. To begin with, a few drops for testing (a little less than half a teaspoon). For the first complementary feeding when breastfeeding, it is better to choose one fruit (vegetable), so the body will get used to it faster, and in the event of an allergic reaction, you can immediately determine what exactly caused it. The apple is considered non-allergenic and the most suitable fruit for children, since it grows in almost all regions.

How to cook natural drink for babies? The first complementary food, apple juice, is best made from green fruits. Wash the apple thoroughly, remove the peel and cut off a small piece, then grind it into a paste and squeeze out the nectar from the resulting mixture. The resulting drink is too concentrated and will be a heavy burden for the baby. It should be diluted with distilled water one to one.

In addition to the types of juice, the age of the baby, when it is necessary to give them, there are other rules:

1. The first dose of the administered drink should consist of 3-4 drops; on this day it is recommended not to try the juice again. If the reaction is normal, then the dose and number of doses can be doubled. Over the course of a month, the dose may increase to 40-50 ml.
2. After the first intake of the drink, you should carefully monitor the body’s reaction; if excessive regurgitation begins, diarrhea occurs, a loud rumbling of the stomach is at least one sign, then the administration of the juice should be stopped and returned to it a little later.
3. The juice should be given to the baby immediately after preparation; there is no need to leave the drink to “air”.
4. You should not introduce fruit drinks during illness or immediately after it.
5. Apple juice for infants should be given after the main meal; such drinks will be difficult to digest on an empty stomach, and it is also an additional source of nutrition. It is better to give juice in the morning and throughout the day. more possibilities observe the reaction.
6. During the cooking process, it is better not to use an iron fruit grater, as oxides are formed that damage the gastric mucosa.
7. Pediatricians do not recommend giving juices with pulp to children under one year old; they contain more dietary fiber.

The sequence of introducing juices into complementary feeding for infants:

Having tried natural juices, you can take store-made ones. It is necessary to pay attention that the nectar is specifically for small children under one year old and does not contain hidden components. To begin with, the drink should also be diluted with clean water, adding a small amount. If time allows, it is better to prepare a natural drink at home without preservatives, dyes and sugar.

Negative aspects of early introduction of juice into infant feeding

Modern pediatricians do not recommend giving juices early age up to a year. This is explained by a number of reasons. Firstly, they negatively affect the stomach and upset the digestion process. Secondly, fruit drinks contain a significant amount of sugar; subsequently, a child, having tried sweets, may refuse healthy foods such as cereals and vegetable purees. Thirdly, they can cause allergies. Fourthly, one such drink is not enough to complement daily requirement baby in vitamins and microelements.

Before introducing a fruit or vegetable drink into daily diet baby, it should be remembered that the best and healthy diet for a newborn - mother's milk. Before starting nectar administration, you should consult your pediatrician. If you have the opportunity to breastfeed, you should do so for as long as possible.

Your pediatrician will teach you how to make and give juices and nectars specifically to your child. Other parents, relatives and acquaintances will also advise, however, you do not need to follow all the advice, each child is unique, and all his characteristics must be taken into account.

When a baby can be given apple juice, only parents decide, taking into account medical recommendations. This is a serious step in the life of both parents and child.

Juices must be present in a baby’s diet; they improve digestion and boost immunity. One of the first fruits that a baby gets acquainted with is an apple. And for the introduction of complementary foods to go smoothly, you need to know when you can give apple juice to your baby and in what quantities.

The benefits and harms of apple juice

Fruit juices help diversify children's menu, enrich the growing body with valuable substances - minerals and vitamins. Specifically, apples are useful for hypovitaminosis and anemia, a tendency to constipation. The fruit, rich in pectin, normalizes intestinal function, stimulates the production of digestive juice, and promotes the removal of toxins.

Apple juice for babies is made from green or yellow apples, since they are less allergenic

Apple juice for babies contains:

• organic acids – malic and citric;
• Sahara;
• copper;
• potassium;
• ascorbic acid;
• biotin;
• pyridoxine;
• manganese;
• vitamin PP;
• pantothenic acid;
• magnesium.

The product is especially rich in iron, chromium, and molybdenum.

Green apples are considered the healthiest. They contain a higher dose of vitamin C, which makes the juice sour. Yellow and red fruits taste sweeter, but they are not recommended to include the latter in the diet of infants due to the risk of developing allergic reactions.

Another important point– apple juice weakens, so children prone to loose stools, it is given in combination with carrot.

How to administer apple juice to a baby

It is advisable to introduce pure apple juice into the diet at 7 months. Initially, the child is given the drink twice a day, 0.5 teaspoon. After a day, if there is no bowel disorder or skin rashes, the baby is given 5 ml of juice.

Over the next 5–6 days, the dose is gradually increased by a teaspoon, bringing the daily volume of the drink to 30 ml. At 8 months the baby should drink 50 ml of juice daily, at 10 months - 70 ml, per year - 100 ml.

Apple juice should be introduced into the baby's diet at 7 months.

Important! Before introducing complementary foods, be sure to consult your pediatrician. In some cases, your doctor may recommend that you start juicing later.

Which product is better - homemade or store-bought? Factory apple juices for baby food are natural, do not contain sugar, dyes, flavors and preservatives.

After opening the package, they can be stored for 3 hours at room temperature or a day in the refrigerator.