At this stage, you may have established a routine involving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while introducing a variety of new foods. Due to the increased activity of your child, the reduced milk intake, and the varied food intake, water intake will naturally increase.
Giving Your Baby Water: How and When to Start
Water is something that everyone needs to drink, right? Well, it turns out that babies get all the hydration they need from breast milk or formula in the first several months.
Find out when it’s OK to start giving your baby water, and why it’s important not to give your baby water until he’s started on solids. Plus, get some answers to some frequently asked questions about safely giving your baby water when the time comes.
At What Age Is It OK to Give Your Baby Water?
Water is not recommended for your baby in his first six months. Until your little one is eating solid food, your baby will get all the water he needs from breast milk (which is actually 80 percent water) or formula. After your baby turns 6 months old, you can start offering a little water.
Why Shouldn’t You Give Water to Your Baby Under 6 Months?
For babies under 6 months, drinking water can lead to diarrhea and even malnutrition.
With breastfed babies, the introduction of water can cause the baby to breastfeed less or stop entirely, leading to malnutrition. Less frequent nursing can, in turn, result in a reduction in breast milk supply as well.
How and When Do You Introduce Water to Your Baby?
The best way to introduce water to your baby (who is 6 months or older) is to give her a small amount in a sippy cup. Don’t force her to drink the water if she rejects it.
Your baby’s need for liquids will increase when she starts eating solid foods.
This is why the time when you start giving solids is also a good time to slowly introduce water. Gradually giving your little one water also gives her a chance to get used to water’s plain flavor.
Drinking water will also help your child develop healthy habits. Giving your baby juice is not recommended, as it can cause her to crave sweetened drinks, which can lead to her becoming overweight or obese later on.
Is It OK to Mix Formula With Water?
It’s OK to mix powdered formula with water. Just be careful to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on how much water to add.
What’s dangerous is adding extra water to the formula. Diluting formula or giving your baby water in addition to formula can lead to a condition called water intoxication.
Diluting infant formula beyond the manufacturer’s directions reduces the nutrients your baby is getting. This can lead to slowed development, electrolyte imbalances, and possibly seizures.
Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions when mixing infant formula, and check out these formula feeding guidelines.
Does Tap Water Need to Be Boiled for Babies?
Some tap water might not be clean enough for your baby. Check with your local health department if you’re unsure about the quality of the tap water in your home.
If the water isn’t safe, you could use bottled water instead, or boil the tap water for mixing with infant formula or for giving your baby once he’s over 6 months old.
To boil tap water, bring cold water to a boil for 1 minute. Then set it aside to cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes before using it. It’s a good idea to test the water on your wrist to ensure it’s at room temperature before giving it to your baby.
Should You Give Water to a Dehydrated Baby?
Your baby may become dehydrated if she has a fever, is vomiting, has diarrhea, or for certain other reasons.
- a dry mouth
- fewer wet diapers
- fussiness
- sleepiness
- a soft spot on the head.
If you suspect your little one may be dehydrated, do not give your baby water. The best fluid to keep your baby properly hydrated is breast milk or formula.
Contact your baby’s healthcare provider right away if you suspect your little one may be dehydrated. Your provider may suggest a rehydration solution, drops, vitamins or minerals in syrup form, or medicine to hydrate your little one.
Should You Give Your Breastfeeding Baby Water on Hot Days?
Your baby does not need water before the age of 6 months even if it’s a hot day and/or you live in a hot climate. The best option will be to keep your baby hydrated with your breast milk or formula.
What Is Water Intoxication in Babies?
Water intoxication, also called hyponatremia, is a condition in which the sodium level in the blood becomes abnormally low. Drinking too much water can cause this condition.
A baby who is given water under the age of 6 months may be at risk for this condition.
Symptoms of hyponatremia can include
- nausea/vomiting
- headache
- confusion
- drowsiness
- irritability
- seizures.
Water intoxication requires emergency medical attention, and treatment may include intravenous electrolytes or medications. Contact your baby’s healthcare provider if you notice any of the symptoms listed above, or if you have any concerns about water intoxication.
Even though giving your baby water may seem harmless, it’s not recommended until your little one is 6 months old. Your baby is getting all the nutrients and hydration she needs from breast milk or formula.
With all those feedings, you’ll also be doing lots of diaper changes. To make the task a bit more rewarding, download the Pampers Club app to earn rewards for your Pampers purchases.
How we wrote this article The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.
When Should My Baby Drink Water?
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While it seems unnatural to not provide water to your little ones early on, there’s legitimate evidence as to why babies shouldn’t have water until they’re about 6-months old.
The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that babies that are breastfed don’t need additional water, as breast milk is over 80 percent water and provides the fluids your baby needs. Children who are bottle-fed will stay hydrated with the help of their formula.
Assuming that your child is feeding well, either through breast milk, formula, or both, their hydration status shouldn’t be a cause of concern.
Giving your baby water before six months isn’t recommended for the following reasons.
- Water feedings tend to fill up your baby, making them less interested in nursing. This could actually contribute to weight loss and elevated bilirubin levels.
- Providing water to your newborn could result in water intoxication, which can dilute the other nutrient levels in the baby’s body.
- Too much water causes their kidneys to flush out electrolytes, including sodium, leading to imbalances.
When your little one is at the stage where you’re introducing pureed solids, water could also be introduced.
According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), once solids are introduced around 4 to 6 months, a baby’s milk intake reduces from a range of 30 to 42 ounces per day to around 28 to 32 ounces per day.
It all depends on how solids are introduced, what kinds of solids are introduced, and how often they’re being consumed. The goal for babies between 6 and 12 months is to ensure adequate nutrition intake and overall growth.
In order to effectively achieve this, introduce solids slowly and in multiple exposures. It’s acceptable to supplement with water at this time. However, assuming adequate formula or breast milk intake, your child may not need more than 2 to 4 ounces of water over a 24-hour period.
Water is traditionally introduced through a sippy cup. In this time period, as your child becomes more active, you may find that providing additional water in occasional instances is helpful.
Buy: Shop for a sippy cup.
Once your child is 12-months old, their milk intake will reduce, ideally to a maximum of 16 ounces per day.
At this stage, you may have established a routine involving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while introducing a variety of new foods. Due to the increased activity of your child, the reduced milk intake, and the varied food intake, water intake will naturally increase.
The CHOC Children’s hospital in Orange County, California recommends that a 1-year-old gets approximately one 8-ounce cup of water every day.
This amount increases each year. The number of 8-ounce cups an older child consumes each day should correspond with their age (up to a maximum of eight 8-ounce cups per day). For example, a two-year-old should consume two 8-ounce cups per day.
Staying hydrated can help your child have proper bowel movements and replenish any lost fluids.
For most children, all you need to do is provide frequent access to water and they will drink enough to meet their needs. If you seem to have trouble encouraging your child to consume water through a sippy cup, try these additional tips to ensure adequate hydration.
Encourage small, frequent sips
Offer small amounts of water throughout the day. Your child will be hydrated but not full from other fluids, which may affect their meal intake.
If you use diluted fruit juice, limit their intake to 4 ounces of pure juice per day.
Make fluids fun
Young kids seem to be intrigued by colors and shapes. You could use colorful cups and fun-shaped straws so that your little ones are excited about consuming water.
Buy: Shop for cups and straws.
Be mindful of weather and activity
Kids aren’t able to regulate their body temperature as easily as adults, so it’s harder for them to recover and cool off. Encourage fluid intake before, during, and after activities.
As a guideline, encourage at least 4 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes, or whenever a break happens. An ounce of water is equal to about one “gulp” from your little one.
Incorporate water-rich foods
Foods such as soups or fruits such as watermelon, oranges, and grapes are rich in water. You can also flavor water with lemon, lime, cucumber, or oranges to make it fun and tasty.
Your baby may be ready take their first sip of water at six months. However, it’s important to realize that newborns, infants, and toddlers have very different hydration than from adults.
What we’d expect ourselves to do in hot weather or during activity is quite different from what they would be encouraged to do. As long as you pay attention to your child’s activity and give them plenty of access to water after age 1, you’ll make appropriate decisions.
Anita Mirchandani, MS, RD, CDN, received a BA from NYU and an MS in clinical nutrition from NYU. After completing a dietetic internship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Anita became a practicing registered dietitian. Anita also maintains current fitness certifications in indoor cycling, kickboxing, group exercise, and personal training.
Last medically reviewed on November 2, 2018
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