Predictors of age at juice introduction and associations with subsequent beverage intake in early and middle childhood

摘要: BackgroundThe American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that if parents choose to introduce juice, they wait until ≥12 months, citing concerns of obesity and dental caries.ObjectivesWe sought to identify correlates of early juice introduction (<6 months) and determine whether early introduction establishes a pattern of sugary beverage intake in childhood.MethodsUpstate KIDS is a prospective birth cohort study with follow-up through 7 years (n = 4989). The age of juice introduction was assessed from responses on periodic questionnaires from 4–18 months and categorized as <6,  6 to <12, and ≥12 months. Sociodemographic information was reported using vital records or maternal questionnaires. At 24, 30, and 36 months and 7 years, mothers reported their child's regular juice, soda, water, and milk intakes. The analysis was restricted to singletons and 1 randomly selected twin from each pair with information …