Is Diet Soda Ok For A Six-month-old Baby?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that young babies consume only breast milk or formula, vitamins, minerals and medications. While there are no strict guidelines, the academy suggests that you do not introduce other drinks or solid food before the age of 6 months. Due to the lack of nutrition, artificial sweeteners, carbonation and caffeine in many diet sodas, however, you should avoid giving these drinks to young infants.

Caffeine

Some clear or colored sodas, root beers and most colas contain caffeine. As lactation experts Judith Lauwers and Anna Swisher point out in their 2010 book "Counseling the Nursing Mother," diet colas tend to have more caffeine than their non-diet counterparts. Because their bodies are unable to eliminate caffeine quickly, giving diet sodas to a 6-month-old can be dangerous. Because caffeine can accumulate and stay in his body for many days, your baby may become irritable, restless, have more frequent bowel movements and develop breathing difficulties if regularly given caffeine.

Carbonation

Whether or not they contain caffeine, the carbonation in diet sodas is dangerous for your 6-month-old. Because carbonation comes from trapped gas, it can cause uncomfortable gas pockets to develop in your baby's digestive system. To release this gas, she may spit up or burp more frequently. If this does not help to release the gas, your 6-month-old will begin to experience stomach pains, discomfort and digestive difficulties. Because of this, the BabyCenter.com website recommends that you do not give your child carbonated beverages before her second birthday.

Sweeteners

Diet sodas are able to retain their sweet flavor with no calories due to their use of artificial sweeteners. These include aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin and sucralose. While these sweeteners are generally regarded as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, child development expert Dr. William Sears notes that this is based on research with adults only. Until they are proven safe, he suggests that you avoid giving artificial sweeteners to infants. As your baby's tastes are shaped by the foods that you provide, Sears recommends that you stick to healthful, nutritious foods as your baby's tastes develop.

Nutrition

For adults, one of the benefits of drinking diet sodas is that you can indulge your sweet tooth without boosting your intake of sugar or calories. While this leaves more room for nutritious foods in your diet, your 6-month-old can't handle eating or drinking much more than she needs. By giving nutritionally empty diet soda to your 6-month-old, you limit the amount of room in her diet for nutrient-rich breast milk or formula. As the first months of her life are crucial to both mental and physical development, you should avoid giving any non-nutritious foods to your baby.