Fruit Juice and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Related Knowledge and Feeding Practices Among Parents of Infants and Young Toddlers

Abstract

ObjectivesCurrent infant and young child feeding recommendations include a focus on sugar-containing beverages (SCBs). The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends delaying the introduction of fruit juice (FJ) until after age 12 months and limiting toddler consumption to 4 ounces/day, and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines advise avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) prior to age 2 years. Well-Child Visits (WCV) provide an opportunity to educate parents and promote recommended feeding practices. We aimed to describe the SCB-related knowledge and feeding practices of a sample of parents and the potential for using short videos during WCVs to provide early feeding related education.MethodsA convenience sample of parents attending 4–15 month WCVs at a busy metro area clinic in Georgia completed a self-administered survey to assess their infant/young toddler feeding practices and their knowledge of SCB-related feeding recommendations. A sub-sample also reported on their perceptions of a 3-minute educational video viewed during the visit.ResultsRespondents (n = 105) were primarily women (87%), non-Hispanic/Latino (93%), and Black/African-American (95%). Some parents: 12% and 77% respectively, believed it OK to give infants FJ before 6 months and 12 months of age; 6% reported introducing FJ before 4 months. Among those with children ≥ 12 months (12–18 months; n = 36), 81% reported having given them FJ before 12 months; 25% reported giving them > 4 ounces FJ/day; and 56% had already given their child SSBs. Age of FJ introduction was not modified by presence of older sibling or age of parent. Few (5%) parents were aware of any expert recommendation related to FJ consumption. Most parents who viewed an education video during the WCV (n = 47) reported being able to focus on (74%), enjoy (85%), and learn something (83%) from it; 96% liked the video length, 74% felt watching it was a good use of their time, 45% perceived a change in their thinking after viewing the video.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrate that consumption of FJ among infants and SSBs among young toddlers is common, that parents are unaware of expert recommendations related to FJ consumption, and short videos present an opportunity to support parent education efforts during WCVs.Funding SourcesThe Global Center for Diabetes Translation Research, pilot grant program.