Can I Feed Water to Baby
- If you have an infant at home, you shouldn't ever give them plain water.
- Water can interfere with a baby's ability to receive proper nourishment or could even make them sick.
- Once your baby reaches six months, it's okay for you to offer some water, but you should still give them breast milk or formula as well.
If you have had a baby in the house, chances are you already know that you're not supposed to give them water before they turn six months old.
In fact, you should avoid giving them pretty much anything beyond breast milk or formula until that age.
But while this is common knowledge, the exact reason behind this recommendation is not as well known.
INSIDER spoke to two experts to find out why water isn't good for infants.
Water can interfere with a baby's nutrition needs.
As it turns out, there are a couple of different reasons as to why giving a baby water isn't a very good idea. First of all, babies don't need the extra hydration that water would provide. "All hydration needs are met through breast milk/formula even in the hot and humidity of the summer," Deborah Malkoff-Cohen, MS, RD, CDN, CDE, a pediatric dietitian told INSIDER.
Additionally, water can fill up their stomachs, making it difficult for them to get the nutrition that they need. "Water is not recommended for infants under six months old because even small amounts will fill up their tiny bellies and can interfere with their body's ability to absorb the nutrients in breast milk or formula," Malkoff-Cohen said.
Putting too much water in baby formula can also cause health issues.
The malabsorption of nutrients that water can cause in babies is also one of the reasons why you shouldn't water down baby formula, Natasha Burgert, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician in Kansas City, MO and author of KCKidsDoc.com, told INSIDER.
According to HealthyChildren.org, a website by the American Academy of Pediatrics, if your formula does call for water, you should only use water that's considered safe by local health departments.
It's also important to know that "diluting" formula with extra water (more than the canister of formula calls for) can lead to a condition called water intoxication, which can be quite dangerous for babies.
Giving your baby additional water, whether it's given on its own or used to water down formula, can also mess with a baby's electrolyte balance, according to HealthyChildren.org, which can cause seizures. Sticking to properly-mixed baby formula or breast milk will help you avoid these complications.
Babies' kidneys can't handle water until they're six months old.
"Until the age of six months, a baby's kidneys are too immature to correctly filter plain water, leaving the baby susceptible to water intoxication," Burgert said. "Water intoxication is a dangerous condition that can affect baby's growth and development and make them very sick. As baby grows, however, her kidneys mature. By the age of six months, her body is able to consume water without concern for water intoxication."
After that, you can start to offer a small amount of water to your little one without having to worry so much about water intoxication or other issues. "This water is considered 'extra' and does not replace the nutritional foods of breast milk and formula needed throughout the entire first year of life," Burgert said.
You should still only offer your baby a little bit of water at a time, though. They just don't need it like you might think that they do.
"From six to 12 months, water is really just practice think a few sips here and there as babies are also getting used to a sippy cup or any cup other than a bottle or breast," Malkoff-Cohen added. "The goal is to get your kiddo accustomed to drinking water. For older infants (nine to 12 months), they can drink up to a few ounces per day."
Even if your infant is sick, it's still not a good idea to give them water.
You might think that it's okay to give your baby water or even juice when they're sick, even if they're under six months of age, but Malkoff-Cohen said that that's not the case. She said that because juice is so full of sugar, it can actually make your little one sick. Water, on the other hand, can fill them up, making it hard to absorb nutrients.
Instead, check with your baby's pediatrician, and ask about products like Pedialyte which will help balance the baby's electrolytes and ward off dehydration.
Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.
Source: https://www.insider.com/can-babies-drink-water-2018-2
0 Response to "Can I Feed Water to Baby"
Postar um comentário