How old can children drink soft drinks?

My child is 1.5 years old and loves to drink soft drinks. My husband and I work so we can't control him. Is it dangerous for young children to drink soft drinks? At what age can children drink soft drinks? (Minh Khue, Ho Chi Minh City).

Reply:

According to the recommendations of the National Institute of Nutrition, children under 2 years old are absolutely not allowed to use soft drinks. For children over 2 years old, they should not drink more than 200 ml of soft drinks per day.

For children under 2 years old, the amount of water their bodies absorb is very little. For example, a 2-year-old baby weighing about 13 kg needs the following amount of water each day: 1,000 ml + (3 x 50 ml) = 1,150 ml; if the child has been supplemented with 500 ml of milk, the amount of water needed from soup, vegetable broth, and filtered water is 1,150 - 500 = 650 ml. For toddlers and older children, the preferred drink is filtered water. Parents only need to give their children water every day, and should avoid soft drinks, especially carbonated drinks.

Children should not drink soft drinks because the main ingredient is sugar. Regular use causes children to lose their appetite, have tooth decay, and their bodies excrete calcium, leading to calcium deficiency and stunted growth. Children are also at risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, diarrhea, etc. Research published in The Journal of Pediatrics shows that children who drink soft drinks have quarrelsome and violent behavior. Specifically, children who drink more than 4 cans of soft drinks a day are twice as likely to break things, fight, and attack others as other children.

Soft drinks have many distinctive smells, flavors, and are sweet and cool, making children enjoy them when they use them. In young children, the use of soft drinks is mainly passive, with the permission of adults. Therefore, the best way to avoid children asking to taste them is to not use soft drinks in front of them in the family.

Parents should note that they should not suddenly ban soft drinks, which can lead to children resisting and secretly drinking them without adult supervision. Families with older children who have a habit of drinking soft drinks should also reduce the amount and number of times they drink them each day. Parents should limit the number of times they buy them. Parents should train their children to drink a lot of water until they stop drinking soft drinks. "Weaning" children off drinks initially makes them uncomfortable, but they will eventually accept it if parents are persistent.

MD.CKI Nguyen Thi Hanh Trang
Department of Pediatrics, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

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