Is it necessary to have babies drink water when they are 6 months old or when the weather is hot? |
Does your baby need water during the hot months of summer? Do babies need to drink water anytime?
It is often suggested that formula fed babies may need a drink of water when thet are older and when the temperature is high. According to Dr. Sears, "Breastfeeding babies do not need extra water, though formula-fed babies often do. Your breast milk contains enough water for your baby, even in hot, dry climates. Formula contains higher concentrations of salts and minerals than breast milk does, so that extra water is often necessary for the kidneys to excrete the extra salt. Also, because of less efficient metabolism, formula-fed infants lose more water. "
While breast milk is approximately 88% water, formula is not and many pediatricians will recommend that formula fed babies be given sips of water from 6 months of age or when solid foods are introduced. Letting babies drink water is a recommendation only and it really is not needed. The recommendation is not intended to be taken as an absolute directive that you must offer your baby water.
Should you decide to give your baby water, please limit how much you are offering. Baby should drink no more than 2-4 ounces a day or as your pediatrician recommends. You do not want the water to displace the intake of breast milk and/or formula. Take the opportunity to offer water from a sippy cup also. This will accomplish 2 things:
1) A breast fed baby will not be subject to possible nipple confusion
2) Water in a sippy cup is the perfect liquid to use when introducing the sippy cup. Add some ice cubes to give the cup a more interesting flair.
Please use extreme caution when offering infants water. Infants who drink too much water may come down with Water Intoxication.
For children under 1 year old - and especially during the first nine months of life - drinking too much water may be a dangerous practice.
In fact, according to pediatricians like James P. Keating, MD, medical director of the St. Louis Children's Hospital Diagnostic Center, "too much water dilutes a baby's normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death.
Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid healthy babies need. If a mother feels her baby needs to take additional water, it should be limited to two to three ounces at a time and should be offered only after the baby has satisfied his hunger with breast feeding or formula"
For those parents who are having their infants under the age of 12 months old take swimming lessons, please be cautious of the amount of water that baby may inadvertently swallow. Water intoxication may also occur due to a baby swallowing too much water when swimming.
Learn More About Giving Babies Water to Drink:
Anne Smith IBCLC on Water and the Breastfed Infant
Supplemental Water for Breastfed Infants
Water Intoxication in Infants
Water Babies & Safety
Signs of dehydration
Remember, always consult with your pediatrician regarding introducing solid foods to your baby and specifically discuss any foods that may pose allergy risks for your baby.
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