It is highly recommended that babies wait to drink water until they are around 6 months old. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breast milk contains over 80% water and supplies all the fluids your baby needs, therefore breastfeeding newborns don’t need any more water.
Children who are fed formula through a bottle will keep hydrated. Their level of hydration shouldn’t be a problem if your child is getting enough nutrition from breast milk, formula, or both. Here are some things every parent should be aware of when their child begins to sip water.
Why Wait Six Months?
It is not advisable to give your infant water before the age of six months for a number of reasons. Water feedings usually fill your baby up, which makes nursing less desirable. Loss of weight and a rise in bilirubin levels could result from this. When you give your baby water, it can cause water intoxication and lower the baby’s levels of other nutrients. Electrolyte imbalances are brought on by excessive water consumption because it causes the kidneys to wash out sodium and other electrolytes.
When Should Babies Be Introduced to Water
Infants shouldn’t be fed water until they have started eating solid foods. Until they are a year old, their kidneys are not developed enough to digest excessive amounts of water. Their needs for water are hence relatively minimal. By giving your infant little sips at a time, you can introduce them to the flavor of water. When the infant shows signs of thirst, put some water in his bottle or Sippy cup and let him sip. Additionally, hold off on giving your infant water from an open cup until he is considerably older.
How to encourage your Babies to drink water?
Most kids will drink enough water to meet their needs if you just give them regular access to it. Try these additional hydration tips if you’re having problems getting your kid to drink water from a sippy cup.
- Encourage frequent to drink water: Give out little sips of water all day long. While other liquids may hydrate your child, they won’t satisfy their thirst, which may affect how much food they eat. If you use diluted fruit juice, keep their daily consumption of pure fruit juice to 4 ounces.
- Make drinking water fun: Young youngsters seem attracted by colors and shapes. Use bright glasses and creatively curved straws to encourage your children to drink water.
- Consider the weather and the activity: Children struggle more than adults do to control their body temperature, making it harder for them to recuperate and cool down. Encourage drinking water before, during, and after exercise. Make sure your youngster consumes at least 4 cups of water as a general guideline.
- Consume foods that are high in water: Soups and fruits like grapes, oranges, and watermelon are examples of foods high in water. Add lemon, lime, cucumber, or oranges to the water to make it more flavorful and appealing.
Conclusion
However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that newborns, babies, and toddlers have different needs for hydration than adults do. If you keep an eye on your child’s activities and provide them with sufficient water to drink after they turn one, you’ll make the best choices.
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