At what age do babies start drinking water?

Newborn babies usually eat mainly breast milk and formula from their mothers. Whether it is formula or breast milk, it can replenish a lot of water, and the baby's body does not need much water at this time, so usually they do not need to drink water specifically. As the baby grows up, the body consumes more water. In addition to replenishing water through diet, mothers usually need to feed the baby water. How old is the baby before he needs to drink water?

At what age do babies start drinking water?

Doctors recommend that babies under 6 months old can get enough water from breast milk or formula and do not need to drink additional water or distilled water. When the baby starts to grow teeth, the nutritional requirements will be higher, because the teeth need fluoride nutrients to provide growth nutrients, then the baby needs to drink water. Most parents let their babies drink more water to prevent constipation. However, there are many reasons for constipation, which have little to do with the stomach and intestines themselves. Therefore, eating habits are not the main factor of constipation. Drinking more water mainly affects the amount of urine rather than the quality of stool.

What kind of water is best for babies?

It is best for your health to drink water that has been boiled and then cooled to room temperature. The gas in boiled water that is then cooled is about half that of water before boiling. This is very similar to the properties of water in human cells, and is most easily absorbed by the body and passes through cell membranes, which is beneficial to metabolism.

In addition, people who often drink cold boiled water have high dehydrogenase activity in their bodies and are less prone to fatigue. It should be noted that when boiled water is exposed to air, the gas will re-enter the water. Cold boiled water that is stored for a long time or repeatedly poured out will be contaminated by bacteria. Therefore, cold boiled water that has been cooled within 4-6 hours after boiling is the most ideal drinking water.

In cold seasons, special attention should be paid to the temperature of the water your baby drinks. The water temperature is generally controlled at around 37°C, mainly based on the baby's taste. Because the baby's digestive tract mucosa is delicate and cannot withstand the stimulation of excessive cold or heat; warm water can not only replenish water, but also enhance the baby's ability to resist cold. A simple way to measure temperature is to drop a small amount of water on the back of your hand. If it doesn’t feel hot, you can give it to your baby.

Proper water temperature

The digestive tract mucosa of newborns is very fragile and cannot withstand the stimulation of water temperatures that are too hot or too cold. Too hot water can easily cause burns, while too cold water can affect digestion and even intestinal cramps, leading to abdominal pain and diarrhea. Room temperature is sufficient in summer, and around 40 degrees in winter.

Pay attention to the amount of water you feed each time

A normal baby needs 150 ml of fluid per kilogram of body weight per day, which already includes the water in milk powder, breast milk and food. So don't feed too much water. The baby's kidney function is not fully developed. Excessive water intake will cause a series of symptoms of water intoxication, such as drowsiness, staring, confusion, muscle weakness and even coma.