My in-laws are watching my 5-month-old son while I work. I just found out they've been giving him a dab of juice from an orange. (They say he likes it.) Isn't it bad to give a baby that young something as acidic as orange juice?

For years most pediatricians taught that 5 months is too early for citrus foods, including orange juice, because they are a common cause of allergies and rashes. The thinking was that it is usually best to delay them until at least 9 months to prevent later problems -- even if kids like the taste. In January 2008, however, the American Academy of Pediatrics said that there is no good evidence that delaying any food beyond 4 to 6 months decreases the odds of allergies. Given that we want babies to imprint on as many healthy flavors as possible while they are young, I’m a fan of giving a bit of orange to babies who seem to tolerate it well.

However, fruit juices do tend to be high in sugar. For this reason I don’t recommend juice before 6 months – and no more than 4 to 6 ounces a day after that, at the very most.Kids don’t need fruit juices. I love for kids to get used to the flavors of fruits, of sucking goodness from a fresh orange, but not used to the idea of downing sugar-rich liquids in a bottle or cup.