How come you have to wait a while before letting a baby drink water?

Question

like why shouldnt you give a young baby water?

im just curious because i heard that they have to wait before they can drink it.

thanks :]

Answer 1

I've never heard that. You mix powder formula with water and most liquids have plenty of water in them so I don't know how it could harm them.

My mom says it's cause you're supposed to feed them as much as they need, not just give them liquid.

Answer 2

There stomachs are small and can't take much food to begin with. If you fill them with water they won't eat enough to thrive. Also there little bodies are more prone to water poisoning, where the body is over saturated with water.

Answer 3

I was told that it would through off their electrolytes.... but my mom says that every baby should have at least a few oz of water a day.  

Answer 4

it is very easy to upset a baby's electrolyte balance....very easy..

Answer 5

http://www.todaysparent.com/baby/foodnut...

As Toronto lactation consultant Anne Kirkham explains, "Giving water to young babies can make some undesirable things happen and can suppress other good things."

For example, in the first days after birth, drinking water has been found to increase the severity of newborn jaundice. "Babies who are breastfeeding well don't have much problem with jaundice," says Kirkham, "but those who are given water as well will become more jaundiced, and this makes them sleepy and lethargic."

Giving water in the early weeks can also interfere with breastfeeding. The infant who has a tummy full of water will drink less milk at his feedings, and his mother's b*****s will decrease milk production in response. The result: The baby gets less milk, and may not grow as well. One study in Australia found that newborns who were given water with sugar after each feeding at the breast lost more weight than babies who were breastfed exclusively. In addition, if the water is given in a bottle, the baby's sucking technique may become confused.

"It's common for babies to have periods of cluster feedings when they feed frequently for a few hours," Kirkham adds. "But because parents don't expect this, they worry that the baby is unsatisfied and wants something else, so they give the baby a drink of water."

While decreased milk production isn't a concern with babies who are fed formula, water is not good for those babies either, since it will reduce their intake of formula. Too much water can even be dangerous: In rare cases, infants have died from water intoxication, and others have developed seizures or hypothermia. Almost all of these babies were bottle-fed.

But what if it's really hot outside? Do babies need water then? Some physicians, such as Danielle Grenier of the Canadian Paediatric Society, say it's OK to add water to formula during very hot and humid weather only if your baby is dehydrated or running a fever. (The water should be boiled if the baby is under six months.)

Research shows that babies don't normally need extra water. A 1978 Jamaican study of exclusively breastfed babies found no signs of dehydration in temperatures averaging 27.6 degrees C. In 1990, the same researcher studied babies in India, where the temperature ranged between 35 and 40 degrees C. Again, the exclusively breastfed babies showed no signs of dehydration and needed no extra water.

"In the summer, when the baby might be a little more thirsty, the milk will be slightly more watery. In the winter, babies receive more creamy milk," Kirkham explains. Of course, nursing mothers should be prepared to drink extra water during hot weather. (The standard advice is "drink to thirst," because if you drink too much, you may decrease your milk supply.)

Answer 6

You should wait to give a baby water until they start solids, which is around 6 months.  The reason is because a baby gets all the water they need from breastmilk or formula.  Water has zero nutritional value and no calories.  

Babies need so many nutrients and calories to grow properly.  They have very tiny tummies, and they fill up quick.  Giving them water deprives them of that amount of the stuff they really need.  

For instance, if they drink 3 oz of water, that's 3 oz less breastmilk the child will take.  They need the nutrients and calories.  They get plenty of fluids from the breastmilk (or formula) itself.

Also, it is possible to over-hydrate by giving them water or diluting a baby's formula.  Adults can get water intoxication (sometimes called water poisioning) by drinking too much water, but babies are more susceptible because their bodies are much smaller.