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Does early fruit juice introduction influence anthropometric outcomes and food consumption at preschool age?

Patrícia Cemin Becker1, Renata Oliveira Neves2, Clécio Homrich da Silva3

  • 1Departamento de Nutrição, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). R. Ramiro Barcelos 2400, Santa Cecília. 90035-003 Porto Alegre RS Brasil. patriciaceminbecker@gmail.com.

Ciencia & Saude Coletiva
|January 11, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Early fruit juice introduction before six months did not affect child BMI-for-age. However, early juice consumers showed higher intake of sugary drinks and snacks later in childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Childhood Obesity Risk Factors
  • Dietary Habits

Background:

  • Early introduction of fruit juice is common but its long-term effects on child health are not fully understood.
  • Assessing the impact of early fruit juice consumption on preschooler's Body Mass Index-for-age (BMI-for-age) and dietary patterns is crucial for public health guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between consuming fruit juice before 6 months of age and subsequent Body Mass Index-for-age (BMI-for-age) and food consumption patterns in preschoolers.
  • To determine if early exposure to fruit juice influences the intake of unhealthy foods and beverages during early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study followed 103 mother-child pairs from 6 months to 3-6 years of age.
  • Body Mass Index-for-age (BMI-for-age) z-scores were calculated from measured height and weight.
  • Food consumption was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire for Children, with statistical comparisons made using chi-squared and Student's t-tests.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in Body Mass Index-for-age (BMI-for-age) z-scores were observed at preschool age between children with and without early fruit juice exposure.
  • Children introduced to fruit juice early (≤150 days) exhibited higher consumption of artificial juices, sandwich cookies, soda, and chocolate milk in preschool years.
  • Specifically, artificial juice consumption (≥once/day) was 63.8% in early juice introducers versus 35.7% in others (p=0.028).

Conclusions:

  • Early introduction of fruit juice before 6 months of age is not associated with altered Body Mass Index-for-age (BMI-for-age) in preschoolers.
  • However, early fruit juice consumption is linked to increased intake of sweet foods and sugary beverages later in childhood.
  • These findings suggest that limiting early fruit juice exposure may help curb preferences for unhealthy foods and drinks in young children.

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