There can be so many unknowns when it comes to caring for a new baby. Every parent has many questions about how they can help their child to be as healthy and happy as possible. Health care professionals get many questions from new parents and often the topic of water intake for little ones comes up. What age should babies be before they drink straight water, how much should they be given, and how often? Will too much water interfere with nursing or bottle feeding? What kind of water is best for babies? We will delve into all of these common questions so you can understand everything you need to know about water intake for your child. Of course, if you have questions or concerns it is always best to speak with your baby’s health care provider.
Importance of Choosing the Right Beverages for Babies
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the beverages offered to young children play a big part in guiding their tastebuds for their entire lives. For example, a child who gets used to sweetened drinks like juice and flavored milks at a young age can develop a sweet tooth that is hard to fight as she grows.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry also recognizes the impact that beverages other than water can have on a child’s oral health. Any additional sweeteners, even naturally occurring sugars like those in fruit juices, can cause tooth decay for their youngest patients.
Frequently Asked Water Questions
Experts agree that water is the best beverage choice for young kids, but at what age should babies be given water? Let’s answer this question along with a number of other commonly asked questions about babies and water intake:
Should babies drink water?
It depends on the age of the baby. It is recommended that babies under 6 months old only consume the water that is found in breastmilk or formula. If they are nursing or drinking their bottles, these littlest babies will stay properly hydrated and not need additional water.
Giving babies under 6 months old water that is not mixed with formula can interfere with their nutritional needs and put them at risk. When babies’ tiny stomachs get full of water, they are less likely to drink adequate amounts of nutritional formula or breastmilk.
For babies over the age of 6 months, water is a great beverage. Children who are used to drinking water at an earlier age are better able to develop healthy drinking habits.
How old does a baby have to be to give them water?
Once your child is 6 months old, you can start to offer him or her small amounts of water.
How do I introduce water to my baby?
Many experts suggest that water is served to babies in an open cup or sippy cup in order to help your little one start to learn new skills. At 6 months old, your baby will only be ingesting small amounts of water and most of his or her hydration will still come from breastmilk or formula.
How much water should I give my baby?
Once your baby is older than 6 months, you can start to offer small amounts of water and increase that amount as they age and move to solid foods. The suggested water intake for a baby that is between 6 months old and 12 months old is between 4 and 8 ounces a day, or 0.5 to 1 cup per day. For children aged 12 months to 24 months, increase their water intake to between 8 and 32 ounces a day or 1 to 4 cups a day. Between 2 and 5 years old, children should be drinking between 8 and 40 ounces a day or 1 to 5 cups a day.
What is a baby water intake chart?
A baby water intake chart is a way that parents can keep track of their baby’s water consumption. Most parents of healthy babies do not need to keep track of this, but if dehydration is a concern, a health care professional might request the parent to keep track of how much water their baby is consuming each day.
Can I give water to my 3-month-old baby in the summer?
It is not recommended that babies under 6 months old drink plain water. Even on hot days, babies should be properly hydrated from the breastmilk or formula that they drink. Both breastmilk and formula are around 85% water!
Does it matter what kind of water I use to mix formula with?
Distilled water is the best type of water to mix formula with, especially when you are on the go. It is recommended that both tap water and regular bottled water are boiled before being mixed with formula. Distilled water can be mixed directly from the water bottle into your baby’s bottle.
Distilled water is the purest type of water available. The distilling process removes 99.9% of minerals as well as bacteria and other impurities that might be present in other types of water.
Can babies drink distilled water?
If your baby is older than 6 months old, she or he can certainly drink distilled water. It is a great choice for little ones because distilled water is so incredibly pure.
Does offering babies water early help them to develop healthy habits?
When parents offer their babies water routinely starting at 6 months old and throughout their childhood, they are helping their child to develop healthy nutritional habits. Staying adequately hydrated can be difficult for many adults, but hopefully, your child will develop this healthy habit early on in life.
Choosing the Best Distilled Water
At Bay Bay Water, we are committed to ensuring that our purified distilled water is as pure as possible. We use a seven-step distilling process that is FDA compliant and is regularly tested by third-party laboratories. Our bottles are made of non-toxic plastic and are BPA-free. Each bottle is properly sterilized before filling so our customers can be confident that they are opening a safe bottle every time. Bay-Bay Water is free of any potentially harmful chemicals or contaminants like chlorine, fluoride, pesticides, lead, viruses, and bacteria.
For mixing with your little one’s formula or for drinking their first cup of water, Bay-Bay Water is a safe and affordable choice for your little one. Visit our website for more information.
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