The opinions of doctors regarding whether or not to give water to babies are different. Some say that everything necessary for a comfortable existence of a little man is in breast milk. Others believe that in some cases it is impossible to do without additional liquid, while indicating the need for taking special drinks.
The child drinks with pleasure
So give or not give water to babies? When can I give water to my newborn?
Liquid for newborns and babies
90% of breast milk is water, so it serves as both food and drink. In the first weeks of life, it is enough to maintain the water balance in the crumbs' body. All the enzymes necessary for digestion are found in breast milk. The mother's body is able to regulate its composition, depending on the condition of the baby.
Dehydrated child drinks water
If the baby is thirsty, he often lays on the breast. Therefore, it receives more front milk, in which the water content is also higher. In some cases, the baby's body may require more. Therefore, you need to proceed from the situation, making a decision: to give or not to give additional drink to the baby.
Do I need to water a newborn
At what age can you give your baby water while breastfeeding? Before the onset of three months of age, appropriate doctor's indications are needed. Young children have a higher metabolic rate, so the body loses more moisture.
Do I need to drink the baby
When can I give water to my newborn while breastfeeding? Some pediatricians believe that at four months. Although this opinion is not shared by most doctors, including WHO. It is important not to allow excess fluid in the body (it is optimal to consume no more than 30-80 ml per kg of body weight per day, depending on the amount of breast milk). You can use a bottle or spoon.
Excessive water intake is bad for the baby
Important! You can't give a baby to drink if he doesn't want to.
Water for newborn baby
Young children are more prone to dehydration than adults. There are many reasons for this phenomenon:
- Diarrhea and vomiting with intestinal infection.
- Sore throat. The baby may refuse to eat breast milk, although the body's need for fluids increases with respiratory diseases.
- The baby is hot. Parents are often afraid of a cold crumbs and wrap up the baby. This leads to dehydration.
- Dry air in the summer.
- Diabetes.
Is it right to give your child a drink? This is even necessary if the baby is showing signs of dehydration. Also, some doctors recommend doing this with fever or hiccups.
The child drinks adapted water
The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
A well-known pediatrician believes that under normal conditions it is not necessary to give a baby a drink. It makes no difference if he is breastfed or formula fed. The World Health Organization is of the same opinion. There are a number of exceptions in which you still need to water the baby:
- If he has diarrhea or vomiting, additional fluid loss occurs.
- Under abnormal living conditions, crumbs. This is manifested in the fact that she greedily pounces on the water. The optimum room temperature is 18-22 degrees with a humidity of 40 to 60 percent.
Signs of a lack of fluid
The rate of onset of dehydration in a child is much higher than that of an adult. When can a newborn be given some water? If at least one of these symptoms occurs:
- Dry mouth;
- The child cries, but there are no tears;
- If the child has no urination for 4-6 hours.
It is necessary to be alert if symptoms appear that can lead to dehydration:
- Abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting;
- Feces with blood;
- High temperature (over 39 degrees);
- Low activity;
- Too frequent urination.
In such situations, you need to call emergency help:
- The child is constantly asleep;
- The baby has a stomach ache;
- There is no way to consult a local pediatrician.
How to properly water a newborn
It is recommended not to give babies to drink what adults drink. It is better for them to drink electrolyte solutions such as pedialitis and rehydralitis. Such formulations can be prepared at home. For this you need:
- Half a teaspoon of table salt, potassium chloride, baking soda;
- 4 tablespoons of sugar.
Important! All ingredients are dissolved in one liter of liquid. The mother should continue to breastfeed her baby.
Happy baby
In any case, the child should be shown to the doctor, because dehydration in infancy is especially dangerous, even fatal. In some situations, it is useless to water the child; doctors will have to restore the fluid balance.
If there is no way to provide the crumbs with electrolytes, then what kind of drink should you give to the baby? It is not recommended to drink it with water from open sources, even if it is boiled and purified using a standard filter. Why? This drink can be full of bacteria, harmful chemicals and other impurities. Also, when boiled, the drink loses its beneficial qualities.
Council. Moreover, it is impossible to give the crumbs medicinal or medicinal-table water, especially if it is soda.
In pharmacies special drinks for newborns are sold. It must have a label that the products have been tested by the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. The difference between mineral water for babies and adults lies in a different composition. It is intended to be consumed immediately after opening the bottle. The best containers in which water for newborns should be stored are glass and polycarbonate (indicated by the number 7 on the bottom).
Many parents prepare their own baby drink because they don't trust the manufacturers. This requires the use of special filtration systems. Drinks prepared with their help are cheaper than store-bought, and the parent can be confident in its quality.
It is clear that the child should not be given water from the tap because of the poor quality of the water. But you can buy special instant teas for babies.
Important! Raw water from a cooler can only be given to a 6-month-old baby if it is low in minerals.
Pwhen breastfeeding
In most cases, this is not necessary. Using water for breastfeeding up to 6 months of age can be harmful as it reduces milk supply. Experts advise giving water from a spoon so as not to wean the baby from the breast.
WHO recommendations
The World Health Organization claims that excessive drinking in newborns can lead to diarrhea or the baby's refusal to breastfeed. As a result, the baby will be malnourished. It is too early to give complementary foods at this age.
Breast milk, especially at the beginning of a feed, contains a lot of liquid. Therefore, if the mother thinks that her baby is thirsty, it is better to give him a breast. This will restore the amount of water in the body and improve the immunity of the child.
WHO does not prohibit the use of rehydration solution, drugs, minerals, if necessary. But only breast milk provides the necessary protection in the formation of the baby's immunity.
It is believed that water helps with jaundice in newborns, but this statement is controversial. Bilirubin does not dissolve in liquid, so it cannot be removed from the body in this way.
Important! Some mums try to convince their child to drink by trying to sweeten the drink. A child does not need liquid unless he asks for it himself.
With artificial feeding
Should water be given to infants on IV? In this case, the baby gets a lot of protein, which requires more water to break down. Therefore, pediatricians are advised to water the baby between feedings. Drinking supplements can help prevent constipation, a common problem in formula-fed babies. Water helps to soften the stool.
If a bottle-fed or mixed-fed baby hiccups after taking the formula, some water can help, as it relieves spasms of the diaphragm and larynx. But here you need to influence the cause of the symptom.
Rules and power scheme for IV
Water with artificial feeding is given from a bottle. Its temperature should be 36 degrees. After three months, you can lower it to room 20 degrees. You need to drink about an hour after eating. This is because the child first gets the liquid from the mixture, and an hour later the baby may want water again.
Regarding the regimen, all figures are approximate, since each child wants to drink in his own way. How much water to give a newborn? The specific recommendations of specialists vary. Some say that a baby needs to drink 60-100 ml of liquid during the day, others call the figure 200 ml.
All values are individual, they are influenced by factors such as the characteristics of the baby's body, climate, season, composition of nutritional mixtures.
It is also necessary to take into account the volume of the stomach, which in an infant is only 250 ml. If it is filled with water, there may be no room for a healthy and nutritious mixture.
So, should babies be given water? In most situations, no additional drink is needed for a breastfed baby. In the case of an artificial one, there are more requirements. You need to water the baby only when dehydrated. In all other respects, one should focus on his individual needs. In no case should you begin to decide how to get the child to drink water. This will lead to negative consequences for him.
