NEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters Health) -- Fruit juices that contain sorbitol or high levels of fructose as sweeteners may cause restlessness, gas and stomach distress in infants, according to a report in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
The sweeteners may cause problems in babies because young children often have difficulty breaking down carbohydrates, including these sugars. But the study authors note that a juice manufacturer's survey found that 90% of infants drink some type of fruit juice by 1 year of age.
To arrive at their findings, Dr. Conrad R. Cole of the Miami Children's Hospital in Florida, and colleagues fed 4 ounces of pear juice or white grape juice to 14 healthy infants. The infants' physical activity was measured to test for signs of restlessness.
The authors report that pear juice drinkers were more likely to show significant carbohydrate malabsorption and were more restless than the grape juice drinkers.
Five of seven infants who drank pear juice (which contains the artificial sweetener sorbitol and has high amounts of a sugar called fructose) showed signs of incomplete carbohydrate absorption -- a condition which can be marked by excess gas, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea. But in some cases, restlessness is the only symptom of carbohydrate malabsorption, the researchers note.
By comparison, just two of seven infants who drank sorbitol-free white grape juice showed signs of this condition. White grape juice has lower levels of fructose, the study authors point out. Unabsorbed sorbitol and fructose may cause gas when they are fermented in the lower part of the colon, the investigators note.
While "fruit juices are an integral part of an infant's diet because of taste, availability, low price and positive exposure as a healthy snack food... fruit juices containing sorbitol and high levels of fructose may not be optimal for young infants," according to the researchers.
"The discomfort may not be severe enough for parents to notice but may be the reason for increased restlessness," Cole and colleagues conclude.
