Hi. My daughter is 9 months, almost 10, I don’t give her water alone, just formula. But I’ve never quite understood why a baby can’t have a bottle of water. Can someone explain lol, and when did your pediatrician recommend too? I’ll be asking mine soon but I know everyone’s dr is different.
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You can give a baby water intoxication they basically drown ! It can cause death
Its ok to give small amounts of water at 6 months but before then it can cause a baby to not absorb nutrients the way they should
I think if I am not mistaken it is the consistency, when you add formula powder to it it becomes thicker. Babies like a lot of elderly people tend to choke on thin consistency fluids. As they get older they are able to drink them with less likelihood that they will inhale into their lungs causing aspiration pneumonia.
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Mine said after 6 months. After 6 months mine didn’t want formula much anymore.
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I did baby led weaning. My son has had water since he was 6 months old. I’ve been told only 2oz but he always drank a full sippy cup a day.
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At 6 months they can have no more then 2oz of water until 1 year of age. Under 1 year they are at high risk for Water Intoxication “Because babies’ kidneys aren’t yet mature, giving them too much water causes their bodies to release sodium along with excess water”
Also before 6 months unless directed by a doctor you shouldn’t give any Electrolyte based drinks like pedilyte as they can also cause Water Intoxication. After 6 months you should also stay away from juices as the sugar is a lot on their systems
They get all the fluids they need from Formula or Breastmilk.
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Good lord… By 10 months usually eating table foods and drinking water and formula from a cup… Water after every meal for digestion… Ooo im so glad i had kids a long time ago… My poor children would have starved with all this new stuff… But dont worry by your second kid the rules will change and you will learn more … Understand more about what your baby is needing… First babies are the toughest trying to follow and keep up with new rules and such…
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Water decreases sodium levels in the blood. Without enough sodium the brain will start to swell. When the brain swells it can cause death. This is irreversible once it occurs.
If a baby is eating lots of foods with sodium in them then it is okay. If a baby is still mostly having formula/boob juice then water just flushes the little bit of sodium out of their body.
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At this age she can totally have a bottle with some water or a sippy cup with meals. My son started with a sippy of water at 4 months old
You should give them water
Why babies can’t drink water
Gene Kim Ali Newhard
Oct 6, 2018, 12:33 PM
While adults need a constant reminder to drink more and stay hydrated, it’s a different story for newborn babies. Their bodies aren’t developed enough to consume even a few ounces of water, which in extreme cases could be fatal. Following is a transcript of the video.
There is a time in every person’s life when drinking water is deadly. Even as much as a few ounces is enough to kill.
The average, healthy adult is made up of 55-60% water. The average baby, on the other hand, is roughly 75% water. And that difference is why babies shouldn’t drink water before they’re at least 6 months old. Not from the tap, or a well, or a spring. Plain water is just plain off limits.
You see, everyone’s kidneys have a limit to how much water they can handle. Break that limit, and the excess water will back up into your bloodstream, where it dilutes the salt, or sodium, in your blood.
Once your blood dips below 0.4 ounces of sodium per gallon, you’re at risk of a condition called Hyponatremia. It happens when your cells try to return sodium levels to normal by absorbing the extra water and swell up like a water balloon in the process, causing complications like confusion, vomiting, and muscle spasms.
Hyponatremia is common in marathon runners who drink too much, too fast during a race without also providing enough sodium to balance out their blood. And if you keep drinking, that excess water will eventually reach the cells in your brain. By this point, you have a dangerous case of water intoxication, which affects roughly 200,000 Americans each year.
It occurs when your brain cells swell, which builds up pressure inside your skull. That can lead to seizures, brain damage, and - in severe cases - death.
But don’t worry, dying from water intoxication is extremely hard for a fully-grown human. An adult would have to drink 2.5-5 gallons every few hours to reach that point.
But for newborns, it’s a different story. Their kidneys are about half the size of an adult’s. So, they can’t hold much water to begin with, and it takes just a few ounces to cause problems.
On top of that, their kidneys aren’t developed enough, yet, to properly filter water. So, any water that enters their body ends up in the circulatory system, where it dilutes their blood, and increases their water content by 7 to 8%.
But it’s not just drinking straight H2O that poses a threat. In fact, most cases of water intoxication in infants don’t even involve a glass of water. A common mistake is when people dilute baby formula TOO MUCH, by accident, or when parents dunk their infants up and down in a swimming pool, and in the process, the infant gulps in too much water.
It’s important that if your baby is showing signs of water intoxication that you take them to the hospital immediately, where a doctor will likely provide some form of fluids, like intravenous saline solution, to bring the infant’s sodium levels up to normal.
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