I thought it was important for me to post this because a lot of people don't know that it's important that you don't give newborns water. It should be in the hundreds of baby books that are sold or told to you by your doctors but for some reason no one thinks to tell parents this.
Water can interfere with a young baby's ability to absorb the nutrients in breast milk or formula and because it can make your baby feel full, it may prevent the baby from feeding as much as he or she should. Giving water to an infant can also cause water intoxication, a serious condition that happens when too much water dilutes the concentration of sodium in the body, upsetting the electrolyte balance and causing tissues to swell. It's uncommon but serious, potentially causing seizures and even a coma. If a young baby needs more hydration – because of a bout of gastroenteritis, for example – the doctor may recommend an electrolyte drink like Pedialyte or Infalyte.
Once your baby is 6 months old, it's okay to give your baby sips of water when he or she is thirsty. You still don't want to overdo it, though, or you might give him a tummy ache or make him too full to eat well. After their first birthday, when your baby's eating solids and drinking whole milk, you can let him drink as much water as they likes.
No comments:
Post a Comment