Can a 7 week old babby drink anything else besides breast milk and formula?

Question

Can a 7 week old babby drink anything else besides breast milk and formula?

Answer 1

no, your *baby* only needs breastmilk or formula at 7 weeks.

Answer 2

Sometimes water, but it is not recommended because it fills them up with no nutrients.

Definitely no juice, cows milk, soda, kool-aid etc.

Answer 3

If there are no health reasons then the baby shouldn't have anything else other than breastmilk or formula. Unless of course the baby is not able to keep breastmilk or formula down because he/she is sick. Then you can talk to your doctor, but most likely they will tell you to get some pedialyte for your baby and give him/her about a teaspoon every 15 to 20 minutes to keep him/her hydrated for the next 24 hours or so until baby is back on his/her regular eating schedule.

Answer 4

I wouldnt suggest anything else, since their bodies are unable to break down the nutrients in the liquid or food.  Formula and breast milk are already broken down the enzymes for the babys body!

Stick to formula and breast milk for now... you can slowly introduce diluted juice when the baby is around  6 months!

Answer 5

Is there a reason you would want to feed them anything besides formula or breast milk?  I would discuss this with your doctor and don't feed baby anything new until you do.

Answer 6

if the baby's constipated they can have cooled down boiled water but thats it. my brother had to drink water from being 2 months. oh and they should never, ever have bottled water

Answer 7

Yes your baby can. I was told by my sons pediatrician to try him on water as early as possible... just 2 oz or so every now and again through out the day... and if the baby is having trouble pooping 1 oz of apple juice per 3 oz water! My son loves water now cause he drank it all the time when he was a baby. Some babies are thirsty and not hungry. Formula is food... It is safe to give them purified or nursery water!

Answer 8

No, Good Lord!  Don't give that baby anything, please!!  S/He shouldn't have anything until 6 months.  They might be able to "take it" before then, but it certainly doesn't mean they need it!

Answer 9

Nope. Just breastmilk or, if breastmilk isn't available, formula.  

No juice, no water. (And I'm sure I don't have to say, no sprite or vodka... ;-))

Answer 10

no a baby shouldn't have anything else until 4-6 months old

Answer 11

They shouldn't.. I have given my baby ( when he was a baby) a drink of water ( bottled)  but just a drink ( like 1-2 sucks from the bottle) to clear the milk from his throat but if you give them too much other stuff to drink it will make them feel full and they won't eat/drink the milk that they need.  

Answer 12

NO, NO, NO!

your baby should just be drinking breastmilk and formula

your baby CANNOT have milk (cow's) until he/she is a year old

your baby CANNOT have juice or water until 6 months of age

Before 12 Months

It seems like it would be so much easier, as your baby gets older, to just give him a bottle or sippy cup full of cow’s milk from the fridge. For formula feeding moms not only is it easier, but much cheaper. However, your doctor tells you not too. This brings up the question, why is cow’s milk bad for your baby?

Breast milk and formula are specifically designed to be sensitive for your baby’s belly. Cow’s milk has certain proteins in it that breast milk and formula do not have. A baby’s digestive system is not capable of processing these proteins, and the lack of processing can make your baby sick. Cow’s milk also has a large amount of sodium, potassium and chloride that can be hard on your baby’s kidneys.

During your baby’s first year, it is important that he get the right amount of vitamin E, zinc, iron and other vitamins and minerals that cow’s milk does not have. These vitamins are found naturally in breast milk and are added to formula. Cow’s milk could lead to an iron deficiency in your baby and in some rare cases cause internal bleeding. It can also lead to dairy allergies as your baby gets older.

There is no doubt that cow’s milk can be more convenient that formula, but until your baby turns a year you should steer clear of giving him cow’s milk.

Water:

Babies younger than six months old should never be given water to drink, physicians at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore remind parents. Consuming too much water can put babies at risk of a potentially life-threatening condition known as water intoxication.

"Even when they're very tiny, they have an intact thirst reflex or a drive to drink," Dr. Jennifer Anders, a pediatric emergency physician at the center, told Reuters Health. "When they have that thirst and they want to drink, the fluid they need to drink more of is their breast milk or formula."

Because babies' kidneys aren't yet mature, giving them too much water causes their bodies to release sodium along with excess water, Anders said. Losing sodium can affect brain activity, so early symptoms of water intoxication can include irritability, drowsiness and other mental changes. Other symptoms include low body temperature (generally 97 degrees or less), puffiness or swelling in the face, and seizures.

"It's a sneaky kind of a condition," Anders said. Early symptoms are subtle, so seizures may be the first symptom a parent notices. But if a child gets prompt medical attention, the seizures will probably not have lasting consequences, she added.

Water as a beverage should be completely off limits to babies six months old and younger, Anders and her colleagues say. Parents should also avoid using over-diluted formula, or pediatric drinks containing electrolytes.

Anders said it may be appropriate in some cases to give older infants a small amount of water; for example to help with constipation or in very hot weather, but parents should always check with their pediatrician before doing so, and should only give the baby an ounce or two of water at a time.

If a parent thinks their child may have water intoxication, or if an infant as a seizure, they should seek medical attention immediately, she advised.

SO NO, DO NOT GIVE YOUR BABY ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN BREASTMILK AND FORMULA UNTIL 6 MONTHS OF AGE (FOR JUICE AND WATER) AND ONE YEAR OLD FOR MILK