Water Consumption Under 1 Year

[Breezy]

I know that under 6 months of age giving water is not recommended because of the possibility of electrolyte imbalance and they get all they need from breast milk or formula. However, I have also been told that in hot climates an ounce or 2 a day is good for proper hydration. Also, for constipation it can also be helpful.

I usually give some water in sippys to over 6 months which is sometimes drank but usually played with. DCM of my new 8 month old DCB says she was told no water under 1 year? We live in a very hot dry climate (109 today) and I feel he should be drinking it as I kindly mentioned to DCM. Obviously not tons of it or a replacement for his formula bottles.

So what are your thoughts or policies on water under 1 year?

[MaritimeMummy]

Check with the individual parents. I wouldn't without parental consent until 13 months.

A general rule of thumb for me: if they are eating table foods and off formula or breast milk, it should be fine.

[Heidi]

We HAVE to provide water throughout the day, even for infants, per the USDA food program. I'm not quite sure how that's supposed to work, honestly. This changed last October, I think when they told us we needed to make "water available at all times".

If I can find the newsletter that addressed it, I will share it...

Update: NOPE! Here is our guideline:

CACFP Water Requirements:
Water should be made available for children to drink upon their request, including during mealtimes. While drinking water must be
made available during meal times, it is not part of the meal and cannot be served instead of milk.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that water be consumed daily. It is important to not serve too much water at
mealtimes to young children because they can fill up on it and then not get enough of the nutrients they need. Try offering water at
snack instead of juice along with 2 creditable components. Children ages 1-3 need about 4 cups of water a day and children ages 4-8
need about 5 cups daily.
The pitcher provided can be used as a tool to teach children to pour liquids, and also emphasize the importance of water in the diet.
Children can measure a cup and count to see how many cups they need to drink each day.

I swear I read somewhere that even infants will be offered sips of water periodically. Can't find it now, of course!

[Blackcat31]

Here is the info I have about water and infants:

It is often suggested that formula fed babies may need a drink of water when thet are older and when the temperature is high. According to Dr. Sears, "Breastfeeding babies do not need extra water, though formula-fed babies often do. Your breast milk contains enough water for your baby, even in hot, dry climates. Formula contains higher concentrations of salts and minerals than breast milk does, so that extra water is often necessary for the kidneys to excrete the extra salt. Also, because of less efficient metabolism, formula-fed infants lose more water. "

While breast milk is approximately 88% water, formula is not and many pediatricians will recommend that formula fed babies be given sips of water from 6 months of age or when solid foods are introduced. Letting babies drink water is a recommendation only and it really is not needed. The recommendation is not intended to be taken as an absolute directive that you must offer your baby water.

Should you decide to give your baby water, please limit how much you are offering. Baby should drink no more than 2-4 ounces a day or as your pediatrician recommends. You do not want the water to displace the intake of breast milk and/or formula. Take the opportunity to offer water from a sippy cup also. This will accomplish 2 things:

1) A breast fed baby will not be subject to possible nipple confusion
2) Water in a sippy cup is the perfect liquid to use when introducing the sippy cup. Add some ice cubes to give the cup a more interesting flair.

Please use extreme caution when offering infants water. Infants who drink too much water may come down with Water Intoxication. For children under 1 year old - and especially during the first nine months of life - drinking too much water may be a dangerous practice.


In fact, according to pediatricians like James P. Keating, MD, medical director of the St. Louis Children's Hospital Diagnostic Center, "too much water dilutes a baby's normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death.

Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid healthy babies need. If a mother feels her baby needs to take additional water, it should be limited to two to three ounces at a time and should be offered only after the baby has satisfied his hunger with breast feeding or formula"

HTH

[Breezy]

Thank ya thank ya both!