| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | No — not yet | — |
| 6 months | No — not yet | — |
| 9 months | No — not yet | — |
| 12 months | Yes | After 12 months juice is unnecessary. If you do give it, the AAP says no more than 4 oz a day of 100% juice for ages 1–3, offered in an open cup, never a bottle. Whole fruit is the better choice. |
| 18 months | Yes | After 12 months juice is unnecessary. If you do give it, the AAP says no more than 4 oz a day of 100% juice for ages 1–3, offered in an open cup, never a bottle. Whole fruit is the better choice. |
| 2 years | Yes | After 12 months juice is unnecessary. If you do give it, the AAP says no more than 4 oz a day of 100% juice for ages 1–3, offered in an open cup, never a bottle. Whole fruit is the better choice. |
Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch. Cut cylindrical foods (hot dogs, sausage, string cheese) into short thin strips — round pieces can get stuck in the airway. Cut small spherical foods (grapes, cherries, berries, tomatoes) into small pieces. Cook hard vegetables and fruit until they mash easily. Remove seeds, hard pits, skin and bones.
Fruit juice is not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists. That is not the same as no risk: any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big or the wrong shape. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up in a high chair, keep mealtimes calm, and watch them the whole time they are eating.
Fruit juice is not one of the common allergens. Introduce it on its own anyway and wait 3 to 5 days before the next new food, so if your baby does react to something you know what it was.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.
Fruit drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and juice drinks are not the same thing as 100% juice — they contain added sugars and children should not have them.
Not before 12 months. Never before 12 months. Children younger than 12 months should not drink any fruit or vegetable juice. Fruit drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and juice drinks are not the same thing as 100% juice — they contain added sugars and children should not have them.
From 12 months: After 12 months juice is unnecessary. If you do give it, the AAP says no more than 4 oz a day of 100% juice for ages 1–3, offered in an open cup, never a bottle. Whole fruit is the better choice. Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch. Cut cylindrical foods (hot dogs, sausage, string cheese) into short thin strips — round pieces can get stuck in the airway. Cut small spherical foods (grapes, cherries, berries, tomatoes) into small pieces. Cook hard vegetables and fruit until they mash easily. Remove seeds, hard pits, skin and bones.
Fruit juice is not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists, but any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up while they eat, and watch them the whole time.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue. Offer one single-ingredient new food at a time and wait 3 to 5 days before the next one, so a reaction is easy to trace. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.