Introducing Juice and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Early Infancy: Parental Knowledge and Intended Behaviors

Objective Assess caregivers’ knowledge about juice and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and identify factors that contribute to their early introduction. Methods One hundred forty-four parents of young infants completed a 45-item questionnaire focused on infant nutrition. Results Seventy-two percent of parents plan to give juice to their babies starting in the first year of life; only 16% plan to introduce SSBs. Parents with some college education or more were significantly less likely to report an intention to introduce juice (P < .0001) and SSBs (P < .001) in their children’s diets. Education level was significantly associated with knowledge about juice and SSBs (P < .001). Parents with higher knowledge were significantly less likely to plan on introducing juice (P < .001) and SSBs (P < .001). Conclusion Parents of young infants lack enough knowledge about the detrimental effects of juice and sugary drinks. These knowledge gaps give pediatric providers a unique opportunity to provide anticipatory guidance starting in early infancy on the adverse health effects of juice and SSBs.