Is it possible to give babies plain water to drink

With the appearance of the baby, parents always have a lot of questions, starting from whether he is full, is it hot, does he need to give him water if he is a baby (in the sense that only mother’s milk eats and nothing else). 

Sometimes a pediatrician, grandmothers or more experienced girlfriends can answer these questions. But, as often happens, at an appointment with a pediatrician, inexperienced mothers forget to ask about their moments of interest, grandmothers often just don’t remember the nuances of caring for babies (or even fed the children a mixture at one time), and girlfriends had not yet had time to get babies. And then the Internet comes to the rescue.

Should I give some water?

In this matter, WHO (World Health Organization) has a very categorical point of view:

  • the newborn does not need anything other than breast milk;
  • water in the first month of life should not be given;
  • dosing with water harms the formation of lactation (less milk is produced by mom);
  • a newborn baby gains weight less because it receives less milk due to drinking water.

It seems to be clear that water is strictly not recommended for newborns. But they do not directly say that it should not be given. At the same time, it is not at all clear whether it is possible to give water to infants who have already left the “newborn” age (roughly speaking, to those who are older than 1 month).

So, it is possible to give water to infants, but they do not have an urgent need for water. They get a lot of fluids with mother’s milk. If lactation is already established and the child is actively gaining weight, then some water will not harm him.

How often and what it costs to drink a child

If you are going to give water to a baby for the first time, you will be confused at first: how to give it, how much, in what dish, to boil or not? Given the general state of ecology, city water supplies and the like, it is very important to understand what kind of water it is worth giving a baby.

Of course, if you have a good water purification system with regularly updated filters at your place, you can give your baby and tap water without any fear. Otherwise, at least it needs to be boiled. Bottled water is sold in stores for children in their first year of life. Do not boil it.

Big babies need to be given as much water as he wants. To do this, place a non-spill drinker in a place accessible to the baby. He will drink as necessary. The crumb, which has not even crawled, can be offered some water 1-2 times during the day from the bottle, especially in the heat.

What else can you give me a drink?

Many special herbal teas are sold for children. The packaging always indicates for what age and in what situations each tea is suitable. For example, dill water for infants is the best salvation from infantile colic (stomach pain from gas). Of course, you should not give such water to a baby just like that when you want to just give it a drink.

Breasts can drink milk formulas and of course breast milk. Before giving your baby something for the first time, be sure to consult a pediatrician. Some juices, for example, should not be given before the child is 1 year old.

Cow or goat milk, so popular for feeding children during Soviet times, is considered by modern children’s doctors to be a dangerous and inappropriate product for the first year of life. It is very different in composition from breast milk and can cause some problems in the baby with a tummy and even kidneys. It is better not to experiment and, if necessary, feed the baby with a high-quality mixture or with its expressed milk.

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