title: [Introduction of soft drinks and processed juice in the diet of infants attending public day care centers].
abstract: Identifying at what age infants enrolled in public day care centers are introduced to soft drinks and industrialized juice, as well as comparing the nutritional composition of these goods with natural fruit juice.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study with the mothers of 636 children (aged 0 to 36 months) from nurseries of day care centers, who were asked questions about the age of feeding introduction. This study evaluated the proximate composition of soft drinks and artificial juice, comparing them with those of natural fruit juice regarding energy, sugar, fiber, vitamin C, and sodium values. The chemical composition of fruit juice was obtained by consulting the Table of Food Composition and, for industrialized drinks, the average nutritional information on the labels of the five most consumed product brands.
  
  
  
  The artificial drinks were consumed before the first year of life by more than half of the children studied, however, approximately 10% consumed them before the age of 6 months. With regard to the comparison among the drinks, artificial fruit juice beverages and soft drinks proved to contain from nine to 13 times higher amounts of sodium, and 15 times less vitamin C than natural juices.
  
  
  
  The introduction of soft drinks and industrialized juice in the diet of infants was inopportune and premature. When compared to natural fruit juice, these have inferior nutritional composition, which suggests the urgent need for measures based on strategies for food and nutrition education in order to promote awareness and the maintenance of healthy eating habits.
authors: Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), Maceió, AL, Brasil. Electronic address: giovana_longo@yahoo.com.br.
authors: Giovana
authors: G
authors: Longo-Silva
authors: Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Lavras, MG, Brasil.
authors: Maysa Helena de Aguiar
authors: MH
authors: Toloni
authors: Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), Maceió, AL, Brasil.
authors: Risia Cristina Egito
authors: RC
authors: de Menezes
authors: Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), Maceió, AL, Brasil.
authors: Leiko
authors: L
authors: Asakura
authors: Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), Maceió, AL, Brasil.
authors: Maria Alice Araújo
authors: MA
authors: Oliveira
authors: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors: José Augusto de Aguiar Carrazedo
authors: JA
authors: Taddei
mesh_terms: D002253:Carbonated Beverages; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D000067030:Fruit and Vegetable Juices; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011633:Public Facilities
keywords: Alimentos industrializados; Child day care centers; Consumo de alimentos; Creches; Food consumption; Food habits; Hábitos alimentares; Industrialized foods; Infant; Lactente