Should babies drink water? This question is one of the topics that can spark conflicts about how to care for children in a large family. Are you confident with your knowledge of this knowledge array?
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Why should mothers not let babies drink water?
When is the time to start giving water to your baby?
Should babies drink water in hot weather?
Consequences when giving water to children under 6 months old
Things mothers should pay attention when giving babies water
Nutrition stories for babies always attract the attention of mothers. Besides learning the secrets of breastfeeding , whether babies can drink water or not is one of the things that most wonder mothers. Especially, with hot and humid tropical climate like our country, do babies have enough water needed?
Experts recommend that children under 6 months of age should not drink water, whether it is filtered water or any kind of water cooked with natural ingredients according to folk beliefs.
At this stage, the baby's kidneys are still weak, so they cannot be eliminated in time. Excess water will accumulate in the body and in the blood causing low sodium levels affect the brain. Therefore, when giving infants water to drink, special attention should be paid to mother!
Bottle-fed babies need to drink more water when the weather is hot
Of course, there will come a time when a baby needs water just like an adult does. A good time to get used to drinking water may be at the beginning of solids.
The addition of water when feeding the baby is effective to help the baby less constipation. Moreover, drinking water now also helps to replenish the baby's fluids when he or she learns to move more and eliminates sweating more.
After 6 months, most mothers return to work, the baby will be less and less breastfed, so giving the baby water is also a way to help replenish the required amount of fluids for the body.
Advice from children's health organizations says breastfed babies do not need any water at all until they are weaned.
Dr. Tim Ubhi, a spokesperson for the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said it is important that mothers breastfeed more often in hot weather.
"At this temperature, breastfed babies should be offered milk much more often than usual," he said. Dry diapers can be a good sign that a baby's body is hydrated and that a bottle-fed baby may need more water in hot weather besides milk.
According to folklore in the way of caring for babies under 1 month old , it is normal to give water to babies, but the consequences are very unusual:
Water intoxication
Children drink a lot of water to dilute the amount of sodium in the body, this sodium will flow out of the water because the newborn's kidneys are not yet perfect. Accordingly, the child will be sodium deficiency leading to water poisoning with the first manifestations such as: The baby feels uncomfortable, sleepy and other signs of mental change.
Drinking lots of filtered water makes children stunted and slowly gaining weight
Drinking lots of water for babies under 6 months old can interfere with the ability to absorb nutrients from breast milk or formula, causing babies to become stunted, poorly suckled, and grow slowly. Because the baby's stomach is small, giving the baby more water will fill the stomach and make the baby full and refuse to breastfeed.
Weak resistance, easy to get sick
Because the immune system of young children is still weak, it is very easy to get diseases related to the gastrointestinal tract when using unsafe and clean water. A baby's risk of diarrhea is two to three times higher than that of exclusively breastfed infants.
With infants under 1 year old, when giving babies more water, mothers need to consider some important issues as follows:
The amount of water suitable for babies under 1 year old
In children 4-6 months starting to eat solids, mothers can slowly get used to the cup to drink. Drinking water for babies at this age is not only about trying a new food, it is also a fun game. Moms should be prepared that you will spit a fertile water full of joy and there is no reason to scold the baby.
At this time, although you have gotten used to drinking water, your baby's needs are quite small. The mother should not give her baby more than 50-100ml of water every 24 hours.
Even when the baby is older, for example, a toddler is still being breastfed, with a necessary amount of water for the body. If the mother can afford to stay at home with her baby and breastfeed on demand, the baby may not need to drink too much water at this time.
Nutrition for the baby: How is drinking water enough? Children aged 0-6 months are when their kidneys are still very weak, unable to be eliminated. If mothers give a lot of water, the amount of water that is not excreted will accumulate in the body and in the blood. The sodium in the blood lowers and leads to water poisoning, affecting the brain nerves, so children ...
Breast milk provides enough water for your baby
Water accounts for 88% of the composition of breast milk. And so, the right way to breastfeed and get enough milk also helps to ensure the required amount of water for babies in the first months of life. For babies born 1-2 days, although the mother's colostrum amount is quite small, the baby is still meeting the water and nutrition needs.
During the first 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, healthy babies will not need to be supplemented with water, no matter how hot the weather is.
In case the baby has diarrhea that leads to dehydration, mothers need to breastfeed more often and let the baby go to the doctor for advice on appropriate rehydration. Similarly, babies who drink formula do not need to drink extra water.
The standard infant formula for each month of age Determining the amount of milk for a baby is not easy, whether for a breastfed baby or formula.
Children under 2 months old do not need extra water
According to recent pediatric documents, drinking water for children under 2 months old is not only beneficial, on the contrary, babies may also encounter health risks such as:
Water increases bilirubin levels, which cause jaundice in the newborn.
Making babies lose more weight.
Extend time in hospital after giving birth.
Infants who drink too much water can become poisoned.
Babies who drink water will not want to breastfeed, leading to slow return of breast milk and less chance of increasing milk supply in the first few days.
Thus, whether or not babies should drink water depends on their age. For babies who have weaned, mothers can also base on their child's actual needs to promptly replenish water.
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