• When Can Babies Drink H2o
  • Is Information technology Not Safe To Give Water Before Vi Months
  • Water For Babies Anile 6 To 12 Months
  • Water For Babies Older Than 12 Months
  • What Kind Of Cup Or Canteen Is Best To Employ
  • How To Requite Water To Baby
  • Some Additional Measures That Assistance Your Baby With Adequate Hydration
  • Ofttimes Asked Questions

If it's a hot, sunny day, you might wonder if information technology is safe to requite water to your six-month-old baby. While you may be enlightened of when to kickoff your babe'southward solid food nutrition, the information about water consumption may not exist well known. So, when can babies drinkable water? The correct fourth dimension depends on the age, different activities, and the child'south nutrient intake. Moreover, it is important to introduce pocket-size quantities to avert any discomfort. Y'all need to adopt certain measures while hydrating your baby to ensure it does not adversely bear upon their health. Then, if you have similar queries, read on! In this mail, nosotros volition tell you about water for babies, including the right time, the adequate quantity, preventive measures, and the right ways to feed it to your piffling one.

When Can Babies Drink Water?

In one case your infant is six months old, you tin begin giving water in pocket-sized amounts. This is the time when you innovate solid foods, and also when she gets more agile. Yous can too offering clear soup but not soda or other sugary drinks. You may start with a sippy cup, spoon, or canteen feeder.

However, excess water might issue in her breadbasket pain or any other discomfort (ane).

[Read: Is Mineral Water Safe For Infant]

Is It Not Safe To Give Water Before Six Months?

It is, usually, not for the following reasons (ii):

  1. Affects nutrient assimilation: Water fills the baby with empty calories and tin bear upon her ability to absorb nutrients from breastmilk or formula. Breast milk or formula has enough h2o, extra h2o makes kids pass more urine. Information technology tin lead to weight loss and elevate the levels of bilirubin, and also increase the risk of infection.
  1. Water intoxication: Too much h2o can cause h2o intoxication in babies, thus diluting the nutrients in the trunk. It volition issue in seizures, and reduced body temperature.
  1. Dehydration: According to the researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Usa, babies younger than six months should not be given h2o as their kidneys are still not developed, they affluent out sodium, forth with excess water (3).
  1. Excess h2o can stimulate the kidneys to affluent out sodium and electrolytes causing dehydration.
  1. No appetite for breastmilk: The baby's tummy is full with h2o and she would not want to drinkable breastmilk. This will make her miss on her daily dose of nutrients (4).

[ Read : Munchkin Miracle Stainless Steel Sippy Cup Review ]

Let's at present see how much water should a baby drink later 6 months.

H2o For Babies Aged Half-dozen To 12 Months:

When you start to requite solid food around half-dozen months, the baby'due south intake of milk reduces from 25-30oz to 14-25oz a day. This, all the same, depends on the kind of solids you introduce and the frequency with which the little ane eats.

Along with breastmilk or formula, she may not require more two to 4 ounces of water every day (v). If your child is very active, you can provide some more than water occasionally.

Water For Babies Older Than 12 Months:

When your babe enters the 12th month, the milk intake reduces to 16oz a solar day. By this time, you may have introduced a variety of foods and established a routine of breakfast, dejeuner, and dinner. Therefore, with the reduced milk consumption, varied food intake and increased activity, your kid'due south need for water increases naturally (6).

According to the U.s. Department of Agronomics, toddlers need around 1.3 liters of h2o every mean solar day (7). It includes h2o from milk, food and other sources. Proper hydration volition help ease bowel movements and replenish lost fluids.

What Kind Of Loving cup Or Bottle Is Best To Use?

You may have to choose different kinds of cups or bottles depending on the age of your little i.

Around six months: At this ideal age to introduce water, utilise a loving cup containing handles and a harbinger or soft spout. Y'all should choose a non-spill valve that is removable. The free-flow cup will help your babe to potable without sucking. This too helps oral evolution as she uses different muscles to drink.

If the baby is transitioning from breastmilk to formula, a bottle with a chest-like nipple should suit her. Your babe's latch will be natural.

Effectually 12 months: This is the historic period y'all can assistance them in drinking from cups. If she is already drinking from a spout or straw, moving to cups is easier for her. You tin apply a sports loving cup or an open cup. A non-spill valve is ideal.

[Read: How To Choose Canteen For Baby]

How To Give H2o To The Babe?

Yous should make sure the baby is drinking water carefully. The following instructions may be of some help:

  • Teach your baby to concord a loving cup/glass.
  • And then aid her tilt the loving cup just enough to brand the water menstruum steadily.
  • Agree the loving cup as she drinks from information technology.
  • Yous will have to do this regularly before she can concord the loving cup without your help and without spilling the content.
  • You can use no-spill sippy cups and then that the water doesn't spill. The sippy cups are safe fifty-fifty if they are turned upside down, every bit the h2o does not come up out unless the baby sucks it.
  • You may experiment with multiple sippy cups until you find the one that is comfortable for your baby.

Follow these basic guidelines to innovate your baby to water, and keep her hydrated.

Some Additional Measures To Keep Your Babe Fairly Hydrated

You tin brand the early days of water consumption interesting and healthy for your baby. Here are a few tips:

  • Let your infant have small quantities ofttimes. Give small amounts of water or watery fluids all through the day.
  • Use colorful cups and differently shaped straws so that your babe will be excited almost drinking water.
  • Exist wary of weather condition weather and activities. Give enough water during activity time, and in hot weather. Let them accept at to the lowest degree four ounces every 20 minutes.
  • Give more h2o-rich foods such equally soups or fruits like orangish, watermelon, and grapes. Flavor water with lime, lemon, oranges or cucumber to make drinking fun.
  • You tin can replace the lost fluids by giving your infant formula, breastmilk or a rehydration solution. However, do not requite plain water to rehydrate her body.

Do not be in a hurry to introduce water to your baby. In the offset six months, breastmilk is everything for her –nutrient, water, fruits, and vegetables all packed in one. Introduce water gradually later on six months but make sure the infant is not drinking so much that she loses her appetite.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Should you give boiled water for babies?

Yeah, information technology is practiced to boil and absurd the h2o for your baby. Boiling kills the microorganisms, thereby reducing the run a risk of any infection. According to the American University of Pediatrics, sterile water should be used for babies fifty-fifty while preparing infant formula (eight).

two. Can babies potable bottled water?

It is not prophylactic to give bottled water for babies equally it is probable to be high in sodium and sulfate content. Give h2o that is low in sodium and sulfates. One liter water should contain less than 200mg of sodium (Na) and 250mg of sulphate (So or SO4). Yous may use bottled h2o that is labeled every bit purified, deionized, demineralized and distilled (9).

[Read: Is Alkaline Water Condom For Babies]

3. Can you dilute formula with h2o?

Practise not add excess water to dilute the formula feed. Read the directions for making formula and add together the recommended amount. Calculation excess h2o tin can merely raise the risk for water intoxication, wherein your baby takes in fewer nutrients than what she should.

4. When can babies drink tap water?

Yous tin can starting time giving tap h2o from the time you introduce water to your babe just make sure the h2o is not fluorinated. You lot tin can too use a water filter so that filtering removes certain additives such as chlorine and fluoride to go on the tap water fresh (10).

five. Can yous give juice to potable?

You may requite juices to your baby when they are 12 months quondam. Simply ensure it is 100% fruit juice without any added sugars or preservatives, or else it increases the take chances of tooth decay. Give every bit less every bit four ounces per twenty-four hours, along with a meal or a snack considering juice tin can fill their tummy. Information technology tin also lead to diarrhea, diaper rash and weight gain (eleven).

We hope our little guide helps you begin the process of introducing water to your baby smoothly. If y'all have got any more ideas to share, feel costless to write them below.

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Dr. Raju Shah is the medical director of the Ankur Institute of Child Health and is a one-time professor and head of the department of pediatrics at the GCS Medical College, both in Ahmedabad, India. He obtained his MBBS in 1970 and MD in pediatrics in 1974 from the B. J. Medical Higher in Ahmedabad and trained in vaccinology at... more than

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist and toddler mom with over eight years of feel in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career every bit a CSR project coordinator for a salubrious eating and active lifestyle projection catering to school children. So she worked as a nutrition faculty and clinical nutrition coach in different organizations. Her interest in scientific writing... more than