Dominican Republic study links sugary drinks to child health risks

The World Health Organization warns that free sugars in sugary drinks and ultra‑processed foods increase the risk of childhood obesity, type‑2 diabetes and dental caries, recommending that free‑sugar intake stay below 10 % of daily calories and under 5 % for young children.

UNICEF stresses that the first 1,000 days—from pregnancy to age two—are crucial for physical and brain development, and that poor nutrition during this period can impair growth, weaken immunity and raise the likelihood of chronic diseases later in life.

A national household survey (EnHogar‑MICS 2025) in the Dominican Republic, covering more than 35,000 homes, found that 70.4 % of children aged 6‑23 months had consumed sugary beverages the day before the interview, 38.5 % received unhealthy foods, and only 19.2 % were exclusively breast‑fed to six months.

The report calls early exposure to sugary drinks and ultra‑processed foods a serious health danger and urges stronger supervision and policy action. "En esa etapa, los niños deberían iniciar una alimentación complementaria basada en alimentos naturales… Sin embargo, en la práctica, muchos son expuestos a jugos en caja, néctares industrializados, galletas dulces, cereales azucarados o incluso pequeños sorbos de refresco," it notes.