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What kind of water to give a newborn baby Komarovsky. Tips on when and how to give water to a bottle-fed newborn
As soon as a newborn baby appears in the house, many questions arise related to caring for him. Especially if this child is the first-born, and grandmothers and other experienced relatives are far away. What diapers to choose, how to bathe, what to feed, how much water to give to a newborn artificial feeding- all these tasks have yet to be solved by mom and dad. Therefore, let's help novice parents a little and talk about water in this article: should you supplement it or not, when and how much, how to choose water and what can replace it with?
When it comes to babies natural feeding mother's milk, questions about supplementation arise these days less and less: most pediatricians share the point of view (and can convey it to young parents) that absolutely everything - water, nutrition - is already in breast milk, so there is no need to correct nature , she thought of everything. Natural feeding has an important advantage: the composition of female breast milk such that at first the baby sucks out the first portions of the so-called “forward” milk, which acts as a drink, and then comes the turn of the “hind” milk - thicker, concentrated and nutritious - this is actually food. Nature is wise, she adjusts the composition of mother’s milk to the season and climatic conditions: in the summer, in the heat, milk becomes more liquid and allows you to satisfy the child’s drinking needs; in winter, it is thicker and higher in calories. Therefore, a breastfed baby does not need to be supplemented with water - there is absolutely no need for this until complementary foods are introduced: even when the baby is sick, mother’s milk will relieve the condition better than any other liquid.
The situation is completely different with a bottle-fed newborn. When and why do they finish feeding the artificial baby?
- He needs water because formula feeding gives him more protein than breast milk, and to break it down he needs large quantity liquids. Therefore, a bottle-fed newborn should receive additional water constantly, from the very first day, in the intervals between formula feedings.
- Supplementation not only facilitates the absorption of the formula, but also prevents constipation - a traditional problem for artificial newborns: if there is not enough fluid in the body, the feces become dry and dense, making it more difficult for the body to remove them.
- Water also helps with hiccups - involuntary contraction diaphragm and larynx, water will relieve spasm and eliminate the cause of the condition. And to prevent it from happening again, the baby needs to be provided comfortable conditions: warm (if cold), hold in a vertical position (if the newborn was in a hurry during feeding and swallowed a lot of air) and calm (if hiccups are a reaction to stress or overexcitement).
- If the baby’s temperature has risen, supplementation is mandatory - this will make it easier for the body to cope with thermoregulation, and it will also have the opportunity to remove all that is unnecessary.
- In conditions that lead to rapid and sharp loss of fluid from the body (vomiting and diarrhea), the newborn needs to compensate for lost moisture, so they are offered to drink often and as much as the child wants.
- There is also a popular claim that drinking water helps with newborn jaundice. But in reality it's controversial point: Jaundice is a consequence of increased levels of the pigment bilirubin in the blood - a substance that is insoluble in water, which means that additional water is unlikely to help eliminate it.
The temperature of the water should be comfortable, ideally at first it should be equal to body temperature - 36 degrees, this is how it is best absorbed (like breast milk - the most natural liquid for a baby), gradually the temperature can be reduced to room temperature - 20 degrees (after 2-3 months ).
The best time to offer your baby something to drink is about an hour after feeding, because baby formula is diluted with water, which means the baby won’t feel thirsty.
What to give your baby: what kind of supplementary water is needed?
- Naturally, tap water is not suitable for feeding newborns - unfortunately, the state of tap water in our country does not allow risking the health of the child.
- Special bottled water for babies (it is sold in all pharmacies) is excellent: the age for which it is intended, and mineral composition always indicated on the label. In addition, special children's water is sometimes enriched with vitamins and microelements that are beneficial for babies, and it is bottled in high-security plastic bottles.
- An excellent option is artesian or spring water from a clean, proven source.
- If special baby water is not available, still water or even regular soda will do, which you can shake, open, and let stand in this form for several hours so that all the gases come out. It is important to know that highly mineralized water is not suitable for babies, it should be as neutral as possible, so carefully read what is written on the label.
- Water from the filter can also be used - this best option, if you remember to change it on time to ensure normal water quality.
- A not very suitable (but acceptable) option is boiled water, which was always recommended by old-school pediatricians - after all, boiling kills microorganisms. In fact, boiled water is not harmful, but there is not much benefit from it either, since boiling in it kills everything - both necessary and unnecessary: beneficial salts dissolved in water precipitate and also do not enter the body.
- But herbal decoctions can sometimes replace water, but not just any, but only specifically intended for newborns: dill or fennel water for colic, chamomile and mint for overexcitement, linden for colds. There are ready-made granulated teas for infants; they are very convenient to use and safe, as they undergo careful control by the manufacturer.
- What you definitely shouldn’t do is sweeten the water so that the newborn drinks it more willingly. Sugar only provokes thirst, and the baby does not get drunk with such water, although he drinks more of it. In addition, sugar is difficult for the body to digest and overloads it. Therefore, if the baby does not want to drink, it means that he does not need it now. And you shouldn’t cheat with sugar - it’s better to wait until he really needs additional liquid - then he’ll drink with pleasure as much as he needs.
How much water to give to a bottle-fed newborn?
The mother offers the baby something to drink, and if this moment he has such a need - he will take the opportunity to quench his thirst by drinking exactly as much as required, so you cannot force the baby to drink (as well as feed!).In hot weather or in a stuffy room, you can offer to drink more often - every 20-30 minutes. But if the ambient temperature is cool (less than 20°C), the child is unlikely to want to drink - the liquid he receives with the mixture will be enough for him. In a room where the so-called “comfort temperature” (+24°C) is set, the need for additional drink will be approximately 60-100 ml per day, although various experts give very different recommendations for newborns up to six months – from 50 to 200 ml. In fact, there is no clear norm regarding additional water, and much will depend on the child himself, on the climate, time of year, and even on the thickness of the mixture he eats.
However, everything here is individual, because there are always kids who like to drink water more or less than others. In any case, take into account the fact that the volume of a newborn’s stomach is very small, only about 250 ml, therefore, the more water gets into it, the less space will be left for healthy mixture, so it’s better not to offer a lot of water shortly before feeding.
So listen sensitively to your baby's needs, and then it will be easy for you to take care of him. Good luck!
To date questions: “Should I give the baby water if he is on breastfeeding?" and "When, how much and how to give your baby water?" worry young parents more than topics about breastfeeding.
Puzzled parents these questions are related to the fact that World organization Public Health adopted a declaration 20 years ago detailing the principles of successful breastfeeding and giving the recommendation: “Newborn babies should not be given any food or drink other than breast milk, with the exception of cases due to medical reasons.”
Based on this recommendation, many pediatricians misinterpret it and claim that breastfed children do not need additional water intake. In fact, a baby is considered a newborn only up to 4 weeks, and then he should already drink water.
Water requirement baby appears already in the first hours after birth, but if you offer a newborn baby water right away, his tiny stomach will fill with it, and he will no longer suck mother's breast. How smaller newborn sucks the mother's breast, the worse the mother's milk production. Therefore, only those breastfeeding women who suffer from a lack of breast milk should listen to WHO recommendations.
If the nursing moms There is enough milk, then you need to offer the baby water in between feedings. Children over 1 month of age especially need to be soldered during summer heat, with dry air in the apartment and diseases that are accompanied by a rise in the baby’s body temperature. If the child suckles well and feels great, then force him to drink water healthy baby Of course you shouldn't.
Give the child something to drink water necessary when the first signs of dehydration appear, such as a completely dry diaper after 6-8 hours of sleep, dark color And strong smell urine, lack of tears when crying, dry lips and mouth. Moreover, in these cases, children should be given water as often as possible, in the amount of 1-2 teaspoons of water every 10 minutes while awake after. If the child does not drink from a spoon, then you need to feed him from a pipette or from a special bottle. It is imperative that children be treated in this way with fever, congenital jaundice, vomiting and diarrhea.
Cells and tissues of the child's body contain much more water, and extrarenal water loss occurs in them twice as fast as in adults. Considering that the waters in children's body more, and its loss occurs faster, we can conclude that children need to constantly replenish the body with fluid. If the child’s body experiences a lack of water, then tissues and internal organs children cannot cope with their work, which manifests itself in infants indigestion and abdominal pain.
At lack water, the baby’s gastric juice becomes thick and it cannot cope with the digestion of the mother’s breast milk, especially if the milk is fatty. As a result, the baby begins to experience colic and constipation. That is why children are advised to drink to prevent gas formation in the stomach dill water. After drinking a large amount of water, the gastric juice is diluted, as a result of which the child ceases to suffer from abdominal pain.
In the first year of life child you need to drink water specially prepared for newborns. This water is sold in stores and has nothing in common with boiled water, which many mothers try so hard to feed their babies. Water for small children should not have any taste or gases. Children's water is specially collected from artesian wells and does not contain any harmful impurities.
Infant feeding does not like to drink boiled water from the tap, just like all animals. Therefore, reluctance infant drinking water may not be due to the fact that he does not want to, but to the presence of the smell of chlorine and other unpleasant tastes in the water offered to him.
If the child drinks few and reluctantly, then try offering him water, sweetening it a little or replacing it with rosehip infusion, fruit drink and juice. Apple juice It can be offered to a child as early as 4 months; it is especially useful for children suffering from constipation. Dietary fiber contained in juices with pulp provides correct work gastrointestinal tract and help prevent stool disorders.
To answer question how much water a child under 1 year old needs to drink, you need to multiply his weight by 50, since it is believed that to maintain water balance Children's bodies need about 50 ml of water for every kg of the child's weight. Infant along with 100 ml of mother's milk, he receives 75 ml of water.
If at 4 months the baby weighs 8.2 kg, then the amount of milk he requires is equal to 1/7 of his body weight. This means 1170 ml. Each child suckles at the breast differently; for example, a child suckles only 500 ml per day. milk, then he receives with it only 75x5 = 375 ml. water, instead of the required 8.2x50 = 410 ml. This means, even with breastfeeding in this case it must be supplemented with 410-375 = 35 ml. water. Of course, a child’s need for water also depends on the temperature and dryness of the air, and on the fat content of the mother’s milk, and therefore it is necessary to give water to children taking these circumstances into account.
Average daily values The amount of water that can be given to children is as follows: up to 1 year of age, you can give a child no more than 120 ml of water, from one to 3 years old - 150 ml, and for children over three years old - up to 200 ml.
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Drinking regime for babies really plays important role. At the same time, young mothers should understand that the baby cannot be given water without observing important recommendations. Otherwise, serious imbalances in fluid balance appear in the child’s body. Taking into account natural needs, you can determine whether it is allowed to feed the baby or not.
Should I give my baby water during breastfeeding?
Milk during natural feeding is food and drink for newborns, since it contains approximately 90% water and initially helps to fully maintain fluid balance. At the same time, breast milk helps normalize the functioning of the digestive system, because it contains all the necessary enzymes. Female body maybe with maximum accuracy adapt to children's needs, changing the composition of the milk produced in accordance with the situation. As a result, the baby feels full and does not suffer from thirst.
In some situations, it is impossible to do without changing your diet. Give special mineral drinks to children infancy up to 3 months is necessary only according to medical recommendations. However, after four months there is nothing to worry about.
If the baby has grown up and drinks with pleasure, there are no contraindications. At the same time, the lack of water turns out to be truly dangerous. It is important for adults to understand that infants have a high metabolic rate, which results in significant moisture loss. Parents need to take care to find out what the correct drinking ration for an infant should be.
What kind of water to give to an infant
You need to understand that not all liquids will work. little man, whose gastrointestinal system is only at the stage of adaptation to various drinks and foods.
Features of the influence of liquid on the child’s body:
A properly formulated drinking ration can be truly beneficial for a growing person.
How much water to give a newborn when breastfeeding
Newborns are usually allowed to drink from 4 to 5 months. This is best done between feedings. If the little one feels thirsty, he will enjoy changing his menu.
Pediatricians recommend maintaining the following proportions: 100 milliliters of liquid per kilogram of body weight per day, but this amount includes milk throughout the entire lactation period. This leaves 30 - 70 milliliters for water.
The drinking regime can be adjusted. Much depends on the baby’s well-being, so you need to carefully respond to what worries your loved one who is not yet able to independently describe his state of health. Pediatricians can help determine a suitable regimen.
How to give water to a newborn baby
In order for the baby to drink, bottles with a nipple and small spoons are usually used. Subsequently, the introduction of complementary foods can be made easier, as the baby will understand how to use the spoon. For maximum safety, it is advisable to use silver product with antibacterial effect.
It is best to give babies water after 20-30 minutes of feeding, but no later than an hour before the next meal. The exception is high fever and other childhood illnesses. Initially, it is best to give half a teaspoon, but once a week the dose should be increased by 1.5 - 2 times. By the time complementary foods are introduced, the baby will drink the optimal amount.
If the baby does not want water and feels well without it, does not suffer from constipation and dehydration, it is not recommended to rush to offer him innovations in the menu. However, sometimes it happens that additional fluid is recommended by an experienced physician, but the baby actively spits it out.
It is necessary to focus on the following principles of introducing fluid into the diet:
- initially you need to give a small dose, but the baby should feel the taste characteristics and gradually get used to them;
- You cannot force water, as this will immediately discourage the desire for liquids and subsequent complementary foods;
- the drink should not be sweetened, because otherwise thirst will not be quenched;
- You can offer the baby to play with a spoon or sippy cup bright color, and then give him something to drink;
- you need to be patient, as the adaptation process is mandatory;
- water should be offered often, but it should not be forced or crushed;
- drinking needs to be turned into a game process so that the habit is developed faster and without unnecessary stress;
- You can use a pipette, thanks to which droplets will fall into your mouth without causing negative reactions.
When planning to give water to your baby, it is best to focus on his emotional condition. If he is not ready to agree, it is recommended to postpone the attempt for a couple of days.
How to tell if your baby is not getting enough water
If a little person doesn't drink enough, his health worsens. This manifests itself as follows:
- sluggish and apathetic attitude towards the world;
- dry mucous membranes;
- retraction of the fontanel;
- kidney dysfunction ( daily norm urination – from six times).
If any of the above symptoms occur, appropriate measures must be taken to prevent dehydration. It is best to ensure that you can give up to 20 milliliters at a time. The main task is to normalize the water-salt balance in the child’s body.
Usually the menu begins to change after complementary foods are introduced. Before this, the little one does not need any of the drinks. The exception is when the baby experiences diarrhea or high fever, and breast milk ceases to stimulate recovery and contribute to resistance to infections, viruses, and the development of immunity. Thus, you need to focus on the characteristics of the baby’s health condition.
Is water dangerous for babies?
As you can understand, the baby’s menu should be thought through with special care. The risk of dehydration is not always noted, and milk during lactation also helps to quench thirst and maintain water balance. Wherein drinking regime may be risky for baby if turned on too early.
Potential risks:
The above risks indicate that extreme caution should be exercised. As the baby grows older, it is still necessary to ensure that he is supplemented with food in accordance with existing physiological needs, ensuring improvement general condition health.
A nursing mother often has a question about whether it is possible and necessary to supplement her baby's nutrition. Or is breast milk enough for the baby? This depends on the type of feeding and the age of the newborn.
When can a baby be given water?
When the baby is completely breastfed, supplementation is not required. Breast milk contains 90% water. And only the remaining 10% contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and beneficial elements. Thus, the newborn receives the required amount of water only during breastfeeding.
Please note that the excess volume of liquid fills a small volume of the baby's stomach. And the baby will not finish the required amount of milk, and, therefore, will not receive the required amount of vitamins and elements.
In the first two months of life, you should not give your baby water.
At the age of three months, you can offer a little water for dry mouth or increased sweating. It is necessary to give water only from a spoon between feedings! It is enough to give one or two sips. Do not force feed your baby.
If the baby is on artificial feeding, then supplementation is necessary due to the large amount of proteins in the composition of milk formulas. When bottle-fed, children should also drink from a spoon. Do this as needed.
At mixed feeding Sometimes give your baby small portions of water. The average norm for a newborn is 100-200 ml of water per day.
Water during breastfeeding can be harmful, especially in the first months of a newborn's life. Even with heat or dryness, illness and other unfavorable conditions for the baby, breast milk will cope with the problem better than water. Why is water so dangerous when breastfeeding?
Malnutrition – main danger, which additional soldering can lead to. As mentioned earlier, water fills the baby’s ventricle, and there is no room left for required quantity nutritious breast milk. Imagine that you are giving your baby 30 ml of water. Thus, you deprive the baby of 30 ml of milk.
This leads to the next problem - decreased lactation. Milk production decreases due to the fact that the baby is less likely to breastfeed. Sometimes the baby refuses the breast altogether. Especially if he gets water in a bottle with a pacifier. If you decide to give water, do it only with a teaspoon.
Water often disrupts mineral balance. It removes from the body useful minerals, washes away calcium and magnesium salts, which are necessary for the baby. In addition, supplementation puts a strong strain on the functioning of the kidneys at a time when the newborn’s body is not yet strong and has not adapted to new conditions.
Breast milk maintains the microflora in the baby's intestines in a normal state. Water can disrupt the formation of bacterial flora. In addition, it carries the risk of infection.
The baby does not have enough fluid: what to do?
If there is a lack of fluid in the baby’s body, the following factors are observed.
- Lethargic condition of the baby;
- The fontanelle sinks;
- Dry mucous membranes;
- The number of trips to the “toilet” has decreased. Less than six urinations per day indicate dehydration;
- Urine saturated yellow color with a pungent odor.
Even in these cases, do not rush to give water to your baby. If the child is hot, it is better to wipe the baby with water. Dress your baby lightly and remove the diaper, as it creates a steam effect.
Increase the number of times your baby attaches to the breast. Mother's milk quenches thirst no worse than ordinary water.
Giving water to a child with breastfeeding
In the process of growth and development, there comes a time when children need to be fed. Water is introduced into the infant's diet with the start of complementary feeding. At the age of six months, the baby begins to eat solid food, and then you need to start giving the baby water.
Up to six months, water is given if the baby has a high temperature. But remember that breast milk also copes well with the disease. It best protects the baby from infections and viruses, forms, strengthens and restores immunity. If you have a baby, then you can give dill water or fennel decoction.
Structured melt water is considered the most useful. To obtain such a liquid, place a container with ordinary tap water in the freezer for knocking. Then let it thaw.
If you're concerned about quality, drug stores sell safe bottled water for newborns. It contains a balanced composition of salts and minerals, selected for different ages. This way you can choose the right water for each age.
Water for nursing mothers
But a nursing mother needs to drink water. It stimulates and... If your breast milk production has decreased, doctors recommend drinking more fluids.
Every form of life present on our planet experiences vital need in liquids, including humans.
Small children especially need it, but when should you give water to a newborn while breastfeeding, and can giving it too early harm the health of the baby? We will deal with these issues in the course of our article, and also consider the main arguments against early supplementation.
So, first, let’s immediately decide whether water should be introduced into the baby’s diet. The answer to this question is clear - no, breastfed children under six months do not need additional fluid at all.
A nursing mother's milk consists of 88% water, and therefore, when applied to the breast, the baby receives not only a huge amount nutrients, which give him a feeling of fullness, but also a significant amount of water that fully satisfies his need for liquid.
The only exceptions are children who are on mixed or completely artificial nutrition. The fact is that the milk mixture contains higher concentrations of salts and minerals and additional water in this case is needed so that the body can remove the excess from the body. In addition, consuming the mixture reduces the metabolic rate, and therefore the need for fluid increases slightly.
Important! has established that water should be offered to a breastfed baby only after he reaches six months of age and only if he himself expresses a desire to drink.
If the child does not drink and at the same time looks completely healthy and maintains normal activity, then the introduction of water into the diet can be postponed for some time.
This age was not chosen for additional drinking by chance. The fact is that at this time the child’s diet usually already includes various complementary foods. Solid food significantly increases the body's need for fluid, and the amount of mother's milk by this time is already somewhat reduced. However, this does not mean at all that the volume of additional fluid should be large - you need to follow the standards established by pediatricians in order to avoid water intoxication, which we will discuss below.
Why should you not give water to a baby under 6 months?
Now let's figure out why the opinion of doctors on whether it is necessary to supplement infants before six months is so strict. This is due to the fact that introducing water into a baby’s diet not only affects the amount of mother’s milk he eats, but can also seriously harm his health.
Let's look at the main reasons for this:
- Even purified water contains a certain amount of microelements and other substances that can significantly increase the load on the baby’s kidneys. As you know, this organ filters fluid in our body; in a baby, especially in the first months, the kidneys are not yet adapted to filter anything other than mother’s milk. Microelements in water and breast milk are found in different forms, and therefore the baby’s kidneys have to make significant efforts to remove these impurities from the body.
- In the first months after birth, the baby’s digestive system continues to develop, and mother’s milk also helps with this. Getting into the esophagus and then into the stomach, milk coats their walls with an auxiliary layer of enzymes. These substances promote better absorption and help the digestive system function properly. Water, especially if it is drunk after breastfeeding, washes away this layer, which negatively affects the baby’s digestion.
- In the first three months, the baby's intestinal microflora is formed. This is mainly due to mother's milk. Water introduces an imbalance into this process and disrupts it.
- Most often, mothers think about feeding their baby when there is hot weather. A high temperature in itself causes stress in a child - his condition causes discomfort, and his body tries to establish heat exchange and works because of this in an enhanced mode. By giving the baby water at such a moment, the young mother only aggravates the situation and increases the load on his body.
To top off the above, I would like to mention a study that was conducted some time ago. Then several children and their mothers were divided into groups and monitored the diet under which high temperatures infants will experience fluid deficiency.
The need for fluid was completely satisfied in children who were not supplemented with water. A slight deficiency was observed in babies who were given water in small quantities, and the greatest lack of water was diagnosed in those babies whose mothers fed plenty of clean water.
What kind of water can you give your baby during breastfeeding?
Ordinary drinking water usually contains too much minerals, sodium and sulfates, which put too much strain on the child’s immature kidneys and his digestive system. Of course, you can purchase a special purification system and prepare water for your baby yourself, but the cost of such systems is very high, and therefore affordable only to a few parents.
Special mention should be made of boiled water. In the past, it was by boiling that water was prepared for infants, but modern research showed that such a liquid is not suitable for small children. The fact is that under the influence of high temperatures, the molecular composition of many elements is destroyed, which is why such water becomes absolutely useless and sometimes harmful.
Therefore, if you choose drinking water for your child, it is better to choose a purified variety and under no circumstances subject it to boiling.
How to supplement water for a baby
It is best to use a teaspoon for this. Since by the age of six months the child should already be familiar with it, there will be no difficulties with this method of drinking. A little later, you can use a special cup for drinking, in which case the child himself will regulate the amount of liquid he drinks.
You should start with half a teaspoon and then gradually increase the volume. Of course, this should only be done if the child is really thirsty.
Also make sure that you do not drink water immediately before breastfeeding, otherwise the baby will not receive the proper amount of breast milk, and therefore will experience a deficiency of the nutrients contained in it.
How much water does a breastfed baby need?
The amount of fluid your baby needs depends on his weight. Typically, pediatricians give a figure from 100 to 190 ml for every kilogram of the child’s weight.
Please note that this includes both breast milk and foreign fluids. Therefore, if your mammary glands are capable of producing a similar volume per day, then this will be enough and you will not need to give your baby any additional supplements.
In the same case, if your milk volume has decreased significantly, it is recommended to consult with your pediatrician to find out whether it is necessary to increase the amount of additional fluid in your baby’s diet. Making an independent decision on this issue can lead to the child receiving too much a large number of liquids, which in some cases leads to intoxication.
Water intoxication of a breastfed child
Infants who drink a lot of water sometimes experience a phenomenon called water intoxication. It occurs especially often before the age of 9 months. The fact is that too much water reduces normal level sodium in the baby's body, and this is dangerous because it can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and even death.
The main symptoms of water intoxication in a baby
- Irritability or drowsiness, confusion - the child behaves as if intoxicated, often cannot find the nipple when attached to the breast.
- Low body temperature (around 36 degrees).
- Swelling of the face and swelling of the body.
- Seizures.
Therefore, if you experience one or more of these symptoms, consult your doctor immediately.
It is worth noting that breastfeeding cannot cause intoxication, and therefore it is imperative to follow doctors’ recommendations regarding when to give water to a newborn while breastfeeding. Remember that a child who is thirsty will not feel well, play or be active. Therefore, even if the weather is hot outside, do not rush to give water to your little one. With a high degree of probability, your breast milk is enough for him, and excess liquid in this case will only cause discomfort.
