Water is such a necessary product; from early childhood, a person needs a large amount of liquid so that he grows and develops harmoniously. Therefore, immediately after the birth of a child, young mothers wonder how and when to start giving water to their baby, and whether the baby even needs additional liquid besides milk.

The role of water in a child's life

Water carries life, and, accordingly, the role of this liquid in people’s lives is not exaggerated:

• Voditsa actively participates in every metabolic process occurring in the body.
• Regulates body temperature.
• Delivers nutrients and minerals dissolved in it to cells and tissues.
• Metabolic products are removed from the body with excess fluid.
• In addition, it is a source of all necessary mineral salts and fluorine.

A person consists of approximately 80% water, which is why water is so necessary for the full development of a child’s body.

What kind of water can be given to a child - basic requirements for baby water

But not all water is healthy. The water that comes out of the water supply may contain various bacteria, radionuclides, heavy metals and other substances that are toxic and harmful to adults, and especially to children. She can't give small children anything to drink!

Parents have two options:

1. Or install a deep cleaning filter.
2. Or use bottled water for children's drinks and soups that meets all sanitary rules and regulations.

But it is not recommended to boil water, since heat treatment completely kills not only harmful microbes in it, but also beneficial microelements.

According to SanPiN 2.1.4.1116-02, baby water must be enriched:

• Potassium (up to 0.02 g/l).
• Calcium (up to 0.08 g/l).
• Iodide ion (up to 0.06 mg/l).
• Fluoride ion (up to 0.7 mg/l).
• Magnesium (up to 0.05 mg/l).
• And here silver should not be in the water.

Total mineral substances in water for children should contain no less than 250 and no more than 500 mg/l. Such water should be no harder than 7 mEq/l, with an alkali content of no more than 5 mEq/l.

The name of the water on the label must necessarily contain the word “children’s” or “for children”, and it must comply with the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation.

The manufacturer must also have the following documents:

• Certificate on state registration of Rospotrebnadzor.
• Certificate brand compliance with water.
• Declaration brand compliance with water.
• Declaration , confirming the product’s compliance with the requirements of the Customs Union specified in the technical regulations.

There are two types of baby water on sale:

• Drinking water.
• Water for cooking.

Preparing artificial nutrition for a baby using drinking water is not recommended, due to the content of minerals and trace elements in the liquid that can upset the balance of the mixture.

It is advisable to give children only bottled water that is extracted from deep artesian wells in ecologically clean areas, and which is additionally passed through a filter.

To avoid accidentally purchasing low-quality water, carefully read the information on the label in small print. It should also indicate the age at which you can drink this water and its shelf life.

How and when can you start giving water to your baby?

At , babies do not need additional fluids until they are six months old. All necessary liquid, vitamins and microelements enter the child's body with mother's milk.

If the newborn is fed exclusively with artificial formulas , then you can start giving him a little water from the second month of life. At first, 30 ml per day will be enough for the baby.

To give your baby something to drink, you can use:

• A spoon.
• Syringe without a needle.
• A sippy cup (for children over 5 months).
• A bottle.

Small children definitely need extra fluid if:
Never force healthy children to drink! If the baby refuses to drink, it means there is enough water in his body.

How much water should a child be given from birth - the norms in the table

You should not give breastfeeding children a lot of water, otherwise they will begin to refuse mother's milk. And milk is the main source of vitamins and beneficial microelements, without which harmonious development and growth are impossible.

Every day, infants should consume from 30 to 200 ml (no more than 20 ml per dose) depending on age. More fluid will overload the kidneys and urinary organs. With age, fluid intake gradually increases.

Formulas for newborns contain a higher amount of protein, which is why when artificially feeding a child, it is necessary to give him water from the first day of life between feedings. The volume of water consumed does not need to be added to the volume of food, but you need to give a little water if necessary.

If the baby is bottle-fed, then experts recommend giving the baby approximately 200 ml of water per day. If the child is mixed-fed, then 100 ml of water per day will be enough.

What kind of water should I give my baby?

The best water for a newborn – bottled artesian, enriched with beneficial microelements . It has a high degree of purification, an ideal composition of minerals and trace elements for a child’s body and does not contain gas.

But tap water should be given to newborns very carefully; it is better to completely exclude it from the diet or purchase a filter with a deep degree of purification.

The optimal temperature for baby water when taking is 25 degrees Celsius.

How do you know if your baby is not getting enough water?

There are some signs indicating a lack of fluid in the body.

They appear:

• In the lethargy and apathy of the baby.
• In dry mucous membranes.
• The fontanelle is sunken.
• For problems with urination (the daily norm is at least six times).

If you detect at least one of these symptoms, try to breastfeed your baby more often and give him some water each time between feedings (up to 20 ml at a time). Thanks to these manipulations, the water-salt balance in the baby’s body will be restored as soon as possible.

Where to buy and how much does it cost for children's bottled water?

Prices for children's bottled water may vary depending on the manufacturer. Water is available for sale in containers with a capacity of 0.33 to 5 liters. The average cost of a liter bottle is 40-50 rubles . You can buy it in any supermarket or grocery store, or in some pharmacies.

Water in glass containers is the healthiest, but its price is a little more expensive than its counterparts bottled in plastic bottles. If you decide to save money and buy water in a polycarbonate bottle, choose one with a triangle-shaped marking on the bottom with the number 7 inside. This plastic is environmentally friendly, safe for health and does not contain harmful impurities.

How to store baby water for newborns - storage conditions and periods

Natural artesian water in hermetically sealed bottles is stored in a dark place at a temperature of 5 to 20 degrees above zero for six months to a year from the date of manufacture. Once opened, the bottle should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than five days.

Therefore, when buying large five-liter bottles, calculate the water so that you can use it within this period.

Supplementing infants with water continues to worry parents, because some argue that this is absolutely impossible to do, while others admit that in some circumstances it is simply necessary. So can a newborn be given water to drink, and how can this affect the child’s body? The Ministry of Health has its own firm position in this regard, which is worth considering separately.

In many ways, the need for drinking water for a small child depends on whether his mother feeds him breast milk or whether he is on artificial milk formula. In this regard, it is worth considering the composition of breast milk. It contains more than half a thousand important nutritional components, and, of course, no, even the most approximate, adapted mixture can fully replace it.

This is a universal complex of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and mineral compounds, valuable microelements such as calcium, zinc and sodium. About 2 weeks after giving birth, a woman begins to synthesize mature milk, which can give the baby everything he needs for the development of organs, bone and muscle tissue, and the formation of the brain. In addition, it contains about 90% water, so the baby is fully provided with fluid. The baby's stomach is still very small and mother's milk is enough for him. If you also give him water, the child may not receive enough nutrients.

The Ministry of Health points out other dangers that threaten a child’s body if you supplement it with water:

1. Water can put extra stress on the baby’s internal organs, which is especially dangerous for the kidneys, which take up to 12 weeks to form. Mother's milk does not have a negative effect on them, since it contains almost no salts, so there is no effect on the renal system, unlike water.
2. The intestines of a newborn, when he feeds on breast milk, are populated with beneficial lactobacilli that support normal digestion. Unfortunately, water can disrupt the optimal balance of microflora, and therefore water for a baby in the first two months is undesirable.
3. If you start feeding your baby with water, the mother's lactation naturally decreases.
4. If you give your baby something to drink at night, he may not get the required amount of nutrition during the day, since nighttime breastfeeding stimulates the production of prolactin.
5. In the end, having gotten used to a bottle of water, the child may completely refuse his mother’s breast, because sucking the breast is much more difficult.

Despite the fact that milk is food, it is liquid food and perfectly quenches the baby’s thirst at any time, including in the heat. And of course, the child will not become dehydrated if he does not drink water.

Proponents of supplementation note that water is necessary when the baby needs to drink medicine, but milk also has dissolving properties with the difference that the baby is more willing to swallow mother's milk than water.

Another argument in favor of water is that a bottle of water helps calm an excited child. You can just as easily calm him down with a pacifier, rocking or a light massage. It turns out that all the arguments about the benefits of water for babies are not based on good grounds.

Thus, we can conclude that it is undesirable to give water to breastfed babies, at least until 2-3 months, especially since the mother will have to express milk, which is why its volume will naturally decrease.

Only in the third month, in hot weather, can you offer the baby water, but not in a bottle with a pacifier, but from a spoon. Parents should be aware that, perhaps, the child himself will refuse water and then you should not force him to drink. In general, doctors believe that on especially warm days, it is enough to simply put the baby to the breast - the first, front milk entering his body is more watery, so it will perfectly quench his thirst.

Baby needs water during supplementary feeding

During complementary feeding, all children need water. In addition to the fact that it protects the child’s body from dehydration, it accelerates the process of digestion and delivery of valuable nutrients to all cells of the internal organs. A child at 4-5 months begins to move a lot, and therefore it is extremely important for him to restore the strength spent during games and learning new actions. It is water that provides the required energy.

It should be introduced into the baby’s diet carefully, in small portions. The pediatrician who monitors the child can tell you how much fluid the baby needs per day. As a rule, babies fed on mother's milk require no more than 100 ml per day when supplementary feeding. This amount may be increased in hot weather or in case of poor digestion.

You should not give your child any drinking water, especially from the tap. Water must meet strict requirements:

• Water for a baby should contain as few minerals and salts as possible;
• It must be well cleaned, otherwise pathogenic microorganisms can penetrate into the child’s body;
• Since the gastrointestinal tract of an infant is still very fragile and vulnerable, the water should not contain more than 15 g of nitrogen compounds per liter.

Any non-compliance with such standards may lead to disruptions in the functioning of organs. In addition, it is worth monitoring the child’s condition to determine whether there is enough fluid in his body.

Can a newborn be given water to drink if he is bottle- or mixed-fed? Children who are entirely on formula should drink water, but only as needed. When a child is fed a mixed diet, he needs a minimum of water - no more than 100-150 ml per day.

In what cases is water necessary for children?

There are situations when water is extremely important for a small child.

There are basic symptoms of dehydration that parents should know:

1. The child quickly begins to lose weight. With a mild degree of dehydration, a weight loss of 5-6% is observed. In this case, the urine has a pronounced color and an unpleasant odor. The baby cries more often, licks his lips, and behaves restlessly.
2. In the middle stage of dehydration, the volume of urine decreases, the urge to urinate becomes less frequent, the parietal fontanelle begins to sink, and the heart rate and pulse increase.
3. In severe cases, the child loses up to 9-10% of his body weight, and he actually has no urination. The eyes and fontanel become sunken, the baby becomes lethargic, his legs and arms are cold.

Based on these signs, parents can independently determine that the baby needs more water, but it is better to show him to a doctor. If this is the initial phase of water imbalance, the pediatrician may simply advise giving the child clean drinking water until his condition returns to normal.

In more complex situations, you will need to drink mixtures like Regidron, and sometimes intravenous administration of special solutions. Therefore, the job of mom and dad is to closely monitor the growth indicators and well-being of their baby, so as not to bring him to serious stages of dehydration.

There are other signs in babies that need special attention:

• When a child has a high temperature;
• If the baby has increased sweating, which in itself is a pathology;
• Any symptoms of dyspepsia, such as bouts of vomiting or diarrhea, can cause an imbalance of water and salt balance, and the baby requires medical attention;
• Constipation is also considered a serious reason to give him water.

If, in addition, the baby has a high temperature, dry lips, tongue, dull eyes, and dark urine, you need to urgently contact a pediatrician.

If there is no pharmaceutical drug, parents can prepare the electrolyte mixture themselves. To do this, you will need one liter of clean bottled water, in which you should dissolve half a teaspoon of baking soda and salt, and also put 4 tablespoons of sugar in it.

This measure is important if a child has vomiting or loose stools. If these phenomena occur 4-5 times a day, dehydration occurs very quickly. The baby is given additional food every five minutes in small portions - up to 5 ml. To do this, you can use a simple disposable syringe without a needle - the divisions will help you accurately dose the water.

Amount of water per day for children of different ages

1. Newborns and children up to 12 weeks require about 20-30 ml;
2. From four months to six months – no more than 50 ml;
3. From eight months to a year – 80-100 ml;
4. From one year to one and a half years – up to 150 ml;
5. At two or three years, the volume of water should not exceed 300 ml.

Of course, the average amount is indicated here and parents should understand that in real conditions it is possible to supplement their children with more or less.

In addition, moms and dads can take advantage of these helpful tips to help them properly care for their young children:

• Do not offer your baby water before eating. After this, he will eat reluctantly, since his stomach is already full. It will also not receive enough nutrients necessary for its growth.
• Forcing a child to drink is unwise. He himself knows on an intuitive level whether he needs water at the moment.
• Water for babies should be of high quality. Otherwise, stomach and intestinal upset may follow. Often, due to the use of the wrong water, the baby suffers from allergic reactions - skin irritation, itching, swelling and difficulty breathing normally.
• It is strictly not recommended to give your baby more fluid than his body requires. Such lack of control entails kidney problems.

For preventive purposes, you need to remember the main medical recommendations:

• It is not necessary to give your child something to drink, but you should offer him fresh, purified water regularly. Water should not be boiled, sweet or raw.
• It is important for parents to monitor their baby's urination. In this case, urine should not have a strong odor; normally its color is light.
• You should not play it safe and over-bundle your child, and on hot days you should constantly remind your child to drink water.

Many parents ask how to determine whether a newborn can be given water to drink. This can only be done in certain cases - when the child is sick, has symptoms of water deficiency, or is fed artificial formula. As soon as the baby begins to be supplemented, he should drink water constantly, albeit in small quantities. Parents bear full responsibility for the health and life of their little children, so they must pay enough attention to them, monitoring all the changes occurring in the child’s body.

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The question “is it possible to give water to a newborn?” causes heated debate not only among young parents, but also among experienced pediatricians. Let's try to find the answer by going back at least one century. Since ancient times, mother's milk has been both food and drink for babies. Where could I get purified or boiled water to give my baby something to drink without risking his life and health? This is typical for all mammals.

Rule: Only when children begin to eat the same food as adults should they be offered additional fluids.

Should I give water to a newborn baby?

When can you give your baby something to drink?

It is not recommended for healthy children to consume anything other than milk during the first months. But there are also exceptions. Let's consider cases when the baby can still be given water.

• Constipation. We must remember that only a doctor can diagnose. It is necessary to identify the reason why and start treatment on time. With such a diagnosis, children can be given extra food.
• Transient fever of newborns. This diagnosis is made if the baby has a high fever for 2-3 days. In this case, it is possible and necessary to give water at room temperature.
• Colic. Severe gas production is commonly observed in infants when they are formula fed. In this case, they can be given dill broth, but it is better to consult a pediatrician first.

Is it worth seeing a doctor if your child regularly? Isn't this a signal for a detailed analysis by an experienced specialist? Or can you get rid of this unpleasant phenomenon without the help of a doctor?

For example, the problem of regurgitation in 99% of cases can be solved with the necessary knowledge. By the way, you can get them from here - right now.

And sometimes he eats and begins to tense up and groan. Is the situation familiar? - material about this will help you.

Recipe for making a decoction of dill seeds

To prepare, take 1 teaspoon of dill seeds and pour a glass of boiling water. Leave for 60 minutes, filter. The child is given a chilled decoction. Dosage - 1 teaspoon before meals. First, the newborn is given water 3 times a day, and then (if no allergies are observed) the number of doses is gradually increased to 6 times.

If your baby has a stomach ache, drinking dill seeds will come in very handy.

Here are two more cases when a child cannot do without drinking:

• Severe jaundice of newborns. Diagnosis in which the tint of the mucous membranes and skin has a yellowish tint. It occurs if the mother and child have incompatible blood types and is diagnosed by a doctor in 50% of cases. To get rid of jaundice, you can give your child 1 teaspoon of water every hour.
• Artificial feeding. Babies who are fed formula milk get more protein than they need, so they need extra fluids. In this case, water intake may not be limited.

What kind of water is best to give to a baby?

When the child reaches six months of age, after the introduction of complementary foods, the question is: “Should I give water to a newborn? "becomes irrelevant. Need to. If possible, from a spoon. This is done so that the baby does not refuse the breast. Unboiled - live. It is not recommended to add sweeteners.

Today you can buy baby water in pharmacies and stores.

• Drinks for babies sold in pharmacies. The baby's age is indicated on the bottle. From this point on, its contents can be consumed.
• If you can't buy it, there is an option to give purified with various filters or regular mineral water without gas.

Don't forget that its quality is important for the baby.

And since we mentioned the introduction of complementary foods, would it be wrong not to refer to our article, in which we discuss and draw conclusions about whether it is better to trust vegetable puree?

And since you have decided to introduce new food to your baby, you probably know when his fontanel should close and how the food he eats will affect its overgrowth.

How to properly feed your baby

If your child’s diet includes both water and breast milk, then it is better to supplement it after feeding. The ventricle of a newborn is small (up to 250 ml). If you offer him the breast after drinking, he will not suck as much milk as he needs.

Parents make the responsible decision!

One way or another, parents themselves decide whether to supplement their child’s diet or not, and if so, how much. A child (up to 6 months) can normally consume 200 ml of H 2 O per day. In case of illness, doctors recommend giving the baby liquid in the following proportion: per 1 kg of weight - 30 ml. If your baby has trouble sleeping and is restless, encourage him to drink a little more than usual.

If children receive mixed nutrition or are fed artificial formula, then they should be given water between feedings.

Mom and Dad, when making a decision, do not forget - if you do not give liquid to a newborn, then at his first request, offer the breast.

If the mother feeds the newborn strictly “on the clock,” that is, follows the feeding schedule, then during breaks you can give him additional water. How many? Just a little.

Do not forget that with artificial or mixed feeding, you can offer water to the baby, but under no circumstances force it in.

Health to your little children and you.

Water is necessary for humans to function normally; without it it is impossible to imagine life on Earth. But, with regards to newborn children, the question of supplementing with water is very acute and there is no clear answer. Is it possible and necessary to give a newborn water, in particular boiled water?

Before dotting all the I’s, it is necessary to understand that the need for additional water supplementation directly depends on the type of nutrition of the infant, on the state of his health and climatic conditions of the environment.

Back in 1989, the World Health Organization came to the conclusion that a child who is purely breastfed () does not need additional water until he is 6 months old (before the start of complementary feeding). This is easily explained by the chemical composition of human milk (the numbers are approximate, since the composition of each woman’s milk is different):

• water 87%;
• lactose (milk sugar) 6.5%;
• fat 4%;
• protein 1%;
• vitamins and minerals 1.5%.

As you can see, water is the main component of milk. Nature is designed in such a way that not a single mammal takes its newborn child to water, because by default the baby receives everything it needs and needs from its mother’s milk. Yes, someone will say that we are people, not monkeys, cows, etc. But this does not change the essence; we originated just like other mammals as a result of a long process of evolution.

Human milk is divided into fore and hind milk. Foremilk is thinner, sweeter and leaner. It is white, but with a bluish tint. It is his baby who drinks first, satisfying his drinking needs. Then fatty and nutritious hind milk begins to flow into the baby's stomach, satisfying nutritional needs. Hindmilk is yellowish in color and more concentrated.

By supplementing your baby with water before feeding, you risk not giving the baby enough hind milk, since it will fill the stomach with water and fore milk, which is practically devoid of the nutrients the baby needs for growth and development.

If you are afraid of seeming greedy, your conscience and the views of mothers and grandmothers are gnawing at you because you do not give your baby water, spoon-feed it after the main breastfeeding.

An infant should be given water on 3 occasions

In general, there are situations when supplementing with water while breastfeeding is necessary:

1. Outdoors or indoors, the temperature and humidity conditions are far from optimal (hot, stuffy, dry air, which means low humidity). In such conditions, the child sweats, the body intensively loses moisture and salts, the mucous membranes dry out, and the process of dehydration slowly begins, which is fatal for the child. The child pees noticeably less often (less than 10-12 times a day). If it is not possible to put the baby to the breast more often, add a little clean, unboiled water (you can even dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 liter of water, the saline solution will replenish the loss of salts by the body).
2. Illness of a child accompanied by high fever, vomiting and diarrhea (for example, rotavirus infection). The baby’s body quickly becomes dehydrated, so breast milk won’t help. It is necessary to connect rehydrating agents (for example, rehydron) or the most accessible rehydration solution at home (3 g of table salt + 18 g of sugar + 1 liter of clean water at room temperature).
3. A breastfed baby suffers from constipation or colic. Water with prunes or raisin water will help with constipation, and supplementing with dill water will improve the situation with colic.

Is it possible for a bottle-fed newborn to have water?

It is not only possible, but even necessary, to give water to a bottle-fed or mixed-fed baby. Adapted infant formula contains much more protein compounds, unlike human milk, so the baby needs more liquid to break it down and remove waste products. Very often, bottle-fed children suffer from constipation, this is the main sign of a lack of water in the body. You need to give your baby some water before formula feeding.

Boiled water is by no means the healthiest thing that can be offered to a newborn baby as a supplement. When boiling water, only part of the bacteria is destroyed, but boiled water is saturated with chloride compounds (including chloroform), which are very harmful to small children. Boiled water is dead; it does not contain the necessary minerals and salts. Of course, there will be no visible reasons or a sharp deterioration in the child’s condition, but you have received food for thought!

High-quality and healthy water for feeding children must be purified at the molecular level. As a rule, such water is produced by drinking water factories, and bottles with children's drinking water must be marked and information that the product has been tested by the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (Russian Academy of Medical Sciences). Drinking bottled water for children differs from bottled water for adults in mineral content. It must be consumed raw, there is no need to boil it.

Requirements for children's drinking water:

• total mineral content no more than 200-300 mg/l;
• calcium not more than 60 mg/l;
• potassium no more than 20 mg/l;
• sodium no more than 20 mg/l;
• magnesium no more than 35 mg/l.

Therefore, when choosing children's drinking water, pay attention to the mineral content so as not to purchase ordinary filtered water, which can easily be made at home. The water from the cooler is also bottled, but it is not intended for feeding children.

You should not let your baby drink tap water, even though it is called drinking water. It is not advisable for an adult to drink it without first passing it through a filter.

You should not give your child water with sugar or even slightly sweeten it before starting vigorous activity (““). This will lead to tooth damage or contribute to the development of thrush in the mouth (““). But an active crawling or running child needs a lot of energy, an easy source of which is sweet water, water with honey, or compote.

You should not give your baby sparkling or still mineral water, as it contains a large amount of minerals that put unnecessary strain on the still weak kidneys.

Newborn babies should not be given boiled water to drink, as it is saturated with chloride compounds that are harmful to the child’s body.

The issue of introducing water into an infant’s diet will disappear with the introduction of complementary foods (““), but now enjoy infancy and observe the condition of the baby, which will be the starting point to understand whether the small body needs water or not.