Baby food water
When can babies drink water?
When can babies drink water? | Pregnancy Birth and Baby beginning of content3-minute read
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If your baby is under 6 months old, they only need to drink breastmilk or infant formula. From 6 months of age, you can give your baby small amounts of water, if needed, in addition to their breastmilk or formula feeds.
Why is water not suitable for babies younger than 6 months?
Before 6 months, breastmilk or formula is both food and drink for your baby. It is all they need, even in hot weather. Giving your baby water may mean they drink less breastmilk or formula. This can put them at risk of not getting enough milk or formula to grow properly. Giving your baby a lot of water or excessively diluted formula over a short time can also make them very unwell.
When can I give water to my baby?
If your baby is around 6 months old, you can offer small amounts of cooled boiled tap water but you should not replace their breastmilk or formula feeds. Breastmilk or formula should still be their main drink up to 12 months of age.
After 12 months, their main drink should be water and cow's milk or breastmilk. You can offer water or milk in a cup. There's no need to boil tap water once your baby has reached 12 months.
If your baby has just started on solids, start with a few sips of water from a cup when they are eating. This is so they can learn about drinking from a cup and it can also help prevent constipation due to the increased bulk of their poo. The aim is to get them used to drinking from a cup as this will be their main way of drinking from 12 months on.
What about in hot weather?
In hot weather, it is important to offer more frequent breastfeeds or bottle-feeds if your baby is under 6 months. Do not offer water unless recommended by a doctor.
Your baby may want to drink more than usual but for shorter periods. If you breastfeed, you should also make sure you drink enough water.
To make breastfeeding more comfortable for you and your baby in hot weather:
- place a towel, sheet or pillowcase between yourself and your baby
- lie down to breastfeed to reduce skin contact
Your baby is properly hydrated (getting enough fluids) if they have 6 to 8 pale wet nappies over 24 hours.
What if my baby has a fever?
If your baby has a fever, is under 6 months and is breastfed, you may need to offer extra breastfeeds. If they are under 6 months and formula-fed, you can offer smaller amounts of formula more frequently. Do not offer water unless advised by a doctor.
If your baby is older than 6 months, continue to breastfeed or bottle feed. You can offer water in between feeds. The most important thing to check is whether your child is getting enough fluids.
Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on 1800 882 436 to speak to a maternal child health nurse for advice and support.
What about other drinks?
Fruit juice, soft drinks and cordial are not suitable for babies under 12 months old.
Caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee and energy drinks — and, of course, alcohol — are not suitable for children of any age.
Sources:
Australian Breastfeeding Association (Keeping baby cool in the heat), National Health and Medical Research Council (Infant Feeding Guidelines), NSW Health (Babies and children in hot weather), Raising Children Network (Fever), Raising Children Network (Healthy drinks for kids and teenagers), Royal Children's Hospital (Guide to foods for baby’s first year), World Health Organization (Why can’t we give water to a breastfeeding baby before 6 months, even when it is hot?)Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.
Last reviewed: July 2020
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Related pages
- Healthy drinks for kids
- Feeding your baby with formula
- Breastfeeding your baby
- Balancing introducing solids with milk feeds
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Drinks and cups for babies and young children
Solid foods and milk for your baby
You should continue to breastfeed or give your baby first infant formula until they're at least 1 year old.
Breastfeeding will continue to benefit you and your baby for as long as you carry on.
As your baby eats more solid foods, the amount of milk they want will decrease.
Once your baby is eating plenty of solids several times a day, they may even drop a milk feed altogether.
Beakers and cups for babies
Introduce your baby to drinking from a cup or beaker from around 6 months and offer sips of water with meals.
Using an open cup or a free-flow cup without a valve will help your baby learn to sip and is better for your baby’s teeth.
It might be messy at first but be patient, your baby will gradually learn how to drink from an open cup.
Once your baby is 1 year old, feeding from a bottle should be discouraged.
When using a bottle or trainer cup, do not put anything in it other than breast milk, formula milk or water, and do not add anything else (including sugar, cereals, baby rice or chocolate powder) to the feed.
Comfort sucking from a bottle on sweetened drinks causes tooth decay in young children. Drinks flow very slowly through a teat, which means the sugary substance will be in contact with their teeth for longer.
Find out how to look after your baby's teeth.
Choosing a baby beaker or cup
It's important to choose the right kind of beaker or cup.
A cup or beaker with a free-flow lid (without a non-spill valve) is better than a bottle or beaker with a teat as it will help your baby learn how to sip rather than suck.
As soon as your child is ready, encourage them to move from a lidded beaker to drinking from an open cup.
Drinks for babies and young children
Not all drinks are suitable for babies and young children.
Here's what to give to your child and when.
Breast milk
Breast milk is the only food or drink babies need in the first 6 months of their life.
It should continue to be given alongside an increasingly varied diet once you introduce solid foods from around 6 months.
The World Health Organization recommends that all babies are breastfed for up to 2 years or longer.
Breastfeeding up to 12 months is associated with a lower risk of tooth decay.
Formula milk
First infant formula is usually based on cows' milk and is the only suitable alternative to breast milk in the first 12 months of your baby's life.
Follow-on formula is not suitable for babies under 6 months, and you do not need to introduce it after 6 months.
First infant formula, follow-on formula or growing-up milks are not needed once your baby is 12 months old.
Cows' milk can be introduced as a main drink from 12 months.
Read more about the types of infant formula.
Non-cows' milk formula
Goats' milk formula is available and produced to the same nutritional standards as cows' milk formula.
Goats' milk formula is not suitable for babies with cows' milk protein allergy. It's no less likely to cause allergies in babies than cows' milk formula as the proteins they contain are very similar.
You should only give your baby soya formula if a health professional advises you to.
'Goodnight' milk
"Goodnight" milk is not suitable for babies under 6 months old. This type of formula is not needed, and there's no evidence that babies settle better or sleep longer after having it.
Water
Giving cold water as a drink to babies under 6 months is not recommended.
Speak to your GP or health visitor for advice before giving water to your baby.
From around 6 months you can start introducing water with meals.
When preparing infant formula for babies, you'll need to boil fresh tap water and let it cool for no more than 30 minutes, so that it remains at a temperature of at least 70C.
Bottled water is not recommended for making up feeds, as it's not sterile and may contain too much salt (sodium) or sulphate.
Read more about how to make up baby formula.
Cows' milk
Cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months but should not be given as a drink to babies until they're 12 months old. This is because cows' milk does not contain enough iron to meet your baby's needs.
Whole milk should be given to children until they're 2 years old because they need the extra energy and vitamins it contains.
Semi-skimmed milk can be introduced once your child is 2 years old, as long as they're a good eater and they have a varied diet.
Skimmed and 1% milk are not suitable for children under 5 years old because they do not contain enough calories.
Lower-fat milks can be used in cooking from 1 year old.
Unpasteurised milk
Young children should not be given unpasteurised milk because of the higher risk of food poisoning.
Goats' and sheep's milk
Goats' and sheep's milk are not suitable as drinks for babies under 1 year old as, like cows' milk, they do not contain enough iron and other nutrients babies this age need. As long as they're pasteurised, they can be used once your baby is 1 year old.
Soya drinks and other milk alternatives
You can give your child unsweetened calcium-fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, oat or almond drinks, from the age of 1 as part of a healthy balanced diet.
Babies and young children under 5 years old should not be given rice drinks, because of the levels of arsenic in these products.
If your child has an allergy or intolerance to milk, talk to your health visitor or GP. They can advise you about suitable milk alternatives.
Rice drinks
Children under 5 years old should not have rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk, infant formula or cows' milk as they may contain too much arsenic.
Arsenic is found naturally in the environment and can find its way into our food and water.
Rice tends to take up more arsenic than other grains, but this does not mean that your baby cannot eat rice.
In the UK, there are maximum levels of inorganic arsenic allowed in rice and rice products, and even stricter levels are set for foods intended for young children.
Do not worry if your child has already had rice drinks. There's no immediate risk to them, but it's best to switch to a different kind of milk.
Fruit juice and smoothies
Fruit juices, such as orange juice, are a good source of vitamin C. However, they also contain natural sugars and acids, which can cause tooth decay.
Babies under 12 months do not need fruit juice or smoothies. If you choose to give these to your baby, dilute the juices and smoothies (one part juice to 10 parts water) and limit them to mealtimes.
Giving fruit juice and smoothies at mealtimes (rather than between meals) helps reduce the risk of tooth decay.
From 5 years old, you can give your child undiluted fruit juice or smoothies. Stick to no more than 1 glass (about 150 ml) a day, served with meals.
Squashes, flavoured milk, 'fruit' or 'juice' drinks and fizzy drinks
Squashes, flavoured milk, "fruit" or "juice" drinks and fizzy drinks are not suitable for young babies.
They contain sugar and can cause tooth decay, even when diluted.
For older babies and young children, these drinks can fill your child up so they're not hungry for healthier food. Instead, offer sips of water from a cup with meals.
Fizzy drinks are acidic and can damage tooth enamel so they should not be given to babies and young children.
Diet or reduced-sugar drinks are not recommended for babies and young children.
Even low-calorie drinks and no-added-sugar drinks can encourage children to develop a sweet tooth.
'Baby' and herbal drinks
"Baby" and herbal drinks usually contain sugars and are not recommended.
Hot drinks
Tea and coffee are not suitable for babies or young children. If sugar is added, this can lead to tooth decay.
Further information
- Your baby's first solid foods
- Baby and toddler meal ideas
- Looking after your baby's teeth
- Expressing and storing breast milk
- Bottle feeding advice
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Video: Should my baby use a beaker or a cup?
In this video, a health visitor talks about whether your baby should use a beaker or a cup.
Media last reviewed: 28 September 2020
Media review due: 28 September 2023
READING TIME 4 MINUTES
The fact that food should be cooked on clean, tested water is already a common truth. And, of course, first of all, it concerns our kids. Water for baby food, especially for newborns, must not only meet safety requirements, but also be healthy and have excellent taste. In addition, in children's water, unlike adult water, the content of silver is not allowed. “Soda” is also contraindicated for babies: this means that the composition of water (drinking or preparing mixtures) should not contain carbon dioxide.
It would seem that the solution is obvious - to buy a bottle with the inscription "children's".
After all, such products are subject to mandatory certification and approvals issued by the relevant regulatory organizations. But, unfortunately, really high-quality bottled water, usually recommended by doctors both for diluting dry mixtures and for drinking, is a rarity today. Unscrupulous manufacturers put the "children's" mark only in order to exempt their products from the tax burden, but this inscription does not at all guarantee the absence of harmful impurities. In addition, even if such water can be considered safe from the point of view of bacteriology, this does not mean that it has a level of mineralization that is harmless to the child. Therefore, the best solution is to choose a suitable filter, after treatment in which water for baby food will be safe.
Restrictions important for parents to know
Drinking or cooking?
Specialists divide children's water into two types - for cooking and for drinking.
It's all about the composition, which you should pay attention to before use: mixtures, as a rule, are already balanced in terms of trace elements and minerals, so it is important not to disturb this beneficial balance.
When you use bottled water, you have to rely on the honesty of the manufacturer, who states the standard mineral composition (200-300 mg/l). It is wiser to use drinking water that has been processed in a household filter for preparing baby food. It will be much softer and safer for your baby's health. The microelement composition recommended by experts, which water for infant formula should have, is only 64-107 mg / l.
Each age has its own water
Here the question is also about the composition of water: the same concentration of trace elements and minerals is suitable for a 5-year-old child, but completely unacceptable for a 6-month-old baby. For the same reason, therapeutic and therapeutic and prophylactic water containing an increased level of salts is excluded from the children's diet.
Unfortunately, not all manufacturers indicate age restrictions on the label. If there is no clear information on the packaging, it is better to refuse to purchase such water.
Preparing baby formula with water correctly
According to experts, water from underground sources, the most protected from various kinds of pollution, should be used as “raw” water for preparing baby food. Since the dry mixes themselves have a certain amount of nutrients and minerals, you can calculate whether this amount is enough for your baby. If necessary, for the preparation of baby food, water can be further enriched with the necessary microelements (for example, thanks to special filter cassettes).
When preparing baby formula, remember that the ideal temperature is 36-37°C. The powder is poured into the container with a measuring spoon and quickly stirred until completely dissolved. Then shake the bottle well. Put a few drops on your wrist or press the bottle against your temple to check the temperature of the mixture - it should be practically not felt, that is, as close to body temperature as possible.
Do not leave baby food in the bottle until the next feeding. All used dishes must be washed immediately with hot water and baking soda (1 tsp per 1 liter of water).
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Baby drinking water, Water for baby food, Water for children at home, Drinking water for children
Children's water is the highest quality water today, only on condition that it is made by a trusted manufacturer in accordance with all the rules.
At baby water:
- Total salinity of salts should not exceed 250-500 mg/l
- Some minerals must be lower (see table below)
- Not allowed in baby water carbon dioxide (carbonated - found in mineral water, soda)
- Silver is not allowed as it is a preservative
- There should be a lower amount of iodide ion (within 0.04-0.06 mg/l)
- Less fluoride ion (within 0.
6-0.7 mg/l) - Baby water is also more tested
- Must be checked for 93 indicators for safety, that is, have a Certificate from the Research Institute of Human Ecology and Environmental Hygiene named after A.N. Sysina
- The Certificate MUST contain either “water of the highest quality category” or “children's water”.
- Container for baby water - 0.5-5l. A glass bottle is best suited for storing drinking water, then polycarbonate (the number “7” is in the triangle on the bottom of the bottle). At 19liter bottles are forbidden by law to write on the label - "baby water". If a family buys such a bottle for everyone, then a child can drink this water from birth. It's all about the shelf life of an open bottle.
- Shelf life for closed bottles 0.33-5l - about a year.
- What should be on the label? There are clear requirements for inscriptions on labels (GOST R 52109-2003, GOST R 51074-2003, GOST R 23109-03). The most important are the name of the water, its type (category), date of manufacture, storage conditions, expiration date, chemical and physical composition of water (content of anions and cations, total mineralization, hardness).
It is also important to indicate the source of water intake, that is, the number of the well.
- It is highly desirable to see all water tests. Very few manufacturers openly provide a complete list of water tests. Since the water may not be tested for all indicators.
- And the last thing: water should be checked in the register of Rospotrebnadzor fp.crc.ru. Is she registered there?
The “raw” water for the production of water for baby food should be drinking water obtained from underground water sources, as the most protected from anthropogenic and technogenic pollution.
Iodizing of water for baby and dietary food at the level of 40-60 µg/l is recommended as a method of mass prevention of iodine deficiency (but not necessarily when using iodine-balanced dry mixes for preparing baby food).
And now in more detail about all this.
All bottled waters are divided into several categories: water of the 1st category, water of the highest category, children's (San-Pin No.
2.1.4.1116-02) and table mineral waters (San-Pin No. 2.3.2.1078-01, GOST R 54316-2011 dated 01.07 .2012). It is important that the water is tested by 93 safety indicators in the Research Institute of Human Ecology and Environmental Hygiene named after. A. N. Sysina and had a certificate for water of the highest quality category or children's water.
At the moment, it is believed that water of the highest category can be consumed by children from birth, but, nevertheless, it is better to use children's water without preservatives and with a reduced amount of some indicators. For children's water Research Institute of Human Ecology and Environmental Hygiene. Sysina of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, together with the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, has developed more stringent requirements compared to today, but so far they have not been legally put into practice.
Table of indicators at the moment:
| Key indicators (Maximum allowable value) | Tap water code | Standards for the first category | Standards for the highest category | Baby water standards | Water "DIVO" |
| Total mineralization (mg/l) | 1000 | 1000 | 200-500 | 200-500 | 250-350 |
| Potassium (mg/l) | Not standardized | 20 | 2-20 | 2-20 | 5-15 |
| Calcium (mg/l) | Not standardized | 130 | 25-80 | 25-80 | 30-70 |
| Magnesium (mg/l) | 50 | 50 | 5-50 | 5-50 | 5-20 |
| Bicarbonates | 400 | 400 | 30-400 | 30-400 | about 305 |
| Iron (mg/l) | 0. 30 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | Less than 0.1 |
| Hardness (mg-Eq/l) | 7 | 7 | 1.5-7 | 1.5-7 | 1.5-4 |
| Alkalinity (mg-eq/l) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 0.5-6.5 | 0.5-6.5 | 4.8-5 |
| Fluoride ions (mg/l) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.6-1.2 | 0.6-1 | 0.6-0.7 |
| * Iodide ions (mg/l) | 0.125 | 0.125 | 0.04-0.06 | 0.04-0.06 | No |
| * Silver mg/l | 0.05 | 0.025 | 0. 0025 | Not allowed! | No |
| * Carbon dioxide (carbonation) % | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | Not allowed! | No |
* - preservatives
As you can see from the table, “Divo” water, which we have been extracting for 12 years, does not contain preservatives! Water "Divo" is registered in the register of food products for nutrition of children and adolescents No. 8576 detnadzor.ru and in the register of Rospotrebnadzor fp.crc.ru (trademark "Mega Divo Plus"). On the certificates page there is a "Full list of Divo water tests". Certificates.
View and download the main data in comparison
As for the new developed norms for children's water, the scientists came to the conclusion that in children's water there should be a smaller amount of potassium (no more than 10mg/l), calcium (no more than 60mg/l), magnesium (no more than 35mg/l) , bicarbonates (not more than 300 mg / l), iodide ion (within 0.
04-0.06 mg / l), fluoride ion (within 0.6-0.7 mg / l), alkalinity (not more than 5 meq/l), hardness in the range of 1.5 - 6 meq/l. In addition, it should not contain any harmful substances.
Both a deficiency and an excess of an element in water can adversely affect the body.
With an excess of calcium in the body, there is a violation of the state of water-salt metabolism, early calcification of bones in children, slowing down the growth of the skeleton, a lack of magnesium in the body can lead in extreme cases to sudden death of infants, as well as tachycardia and fibrillation of the heart muscle. With an excess - the possibility of developing syndromes of respiratory paralysis and heart block, irritation of the gastrointestinal tract. With increased alkalinity, there was a violation of the acid-base balance in the body, a decrease in the acidity of gastric juice. Therefore, it is very important that it is the children who drink the most harmonious water for their body.
You can read more about this in SanPin 2.1.4.1116-02 of 2002 on bottled water, Appendix No. 2. This document is freely available on the Internet.
Water of the highest category and for children is physiologically complete water - having the properties of the internal environment of the body. It is much more harmonious for cells. Since its structure is similar to the structure of the cell, plasma, intercellular fluid. Once in the body, micro and macro elements are immediately absorbed into the cell. That is, the cell does not need to do additional work to adapt water to itself: change alkalinity, surface tension, redox potential. All the necessary macro and microelements the child can fill with high-quality water. Their body usually replenishes with water and a smaller part with food. The mother of the baby, who will not be very easy at the first time of the birth of a child, can also replenish her body's reserves, both internal and external (water tones the skin very well). If mom often during this period consumes refined, frozen, and then cooked foods, then with such processing, up to 80% of macro and microelements will be lost, and if they are deficient, the body processes them into fats.
Water will replenish the supply of necessary trace elements and help mom lose weight. In addition, water helps to eliminate constipation. And this is very important for mothers after childbirth. To do this, you need to drink a glass of water immediately after waking up, a glass before each meal and half an hour before taking it. Water improves intestinal motility, helps the stomach to absorb food. The very sewer system of the body of our body requires a lot of water to remove all the "slags". Thus, high-quality water helps in several tasks at once. It's up to you to decide.
For our part, we can offer you our high-quality product, Divo water, which has been produced for 12 years in the ecologically clean region of the Voronezh region, the village of Gremyache, well No. 20210405 with a depth of 117m. You can order a bottle of water from us for a sample. In any case, we will answer all your questions and provide you with a complete list of analyzes at the time of issuing the certificate, as well as the latest analyzes on the work program from production.
According to the analyzes, you can, for example, see the content in the water of such substances as:
| Safety performance | Tap water mg/l, max | Tightened quality standards for packaged drinking water, not more than mg/l | Water "Megadivo" | ||
| First category | Superior | Child | |||
| Cadmium (toxic metals) | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.0005 | Less than 0.0005 |
| Mercury (toxic metals) | 0.0005 | 0.0005 | 0.0002 | 0.0001 | Less than 0.0002 |
| Sodium (salt composition) | 200 | 200 | 100 | 20 | 19. 8 |
| Nitrates (according to No3) (salt composition) | 45 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 3.3 |
| * Selenium (toxic metals) | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.005 | Less than 0.005 |
Note: * - For children older than 3 years, the content of selenium in drinking water is allowed for level of 0.01 mg/l.
How much water do children need to drink? Scientists have established such norms. For an adult, the total volume of liquid per day (both soup, and compote, and tea, and water) is calculated as 40 ml per 1 kg of weight (usually 2 liters), and for children under 6-7 years old, twice as much: 80 ml per 1 kg of weight (usually 2l 700ml per day), since water exchange is disturbed in children!
As for mineral water, children should not drink mineral water, as there must be medical indications for its use.
In addition, there is carbon dioxide in mineral waters, which is prohibited for children's water. And, accordingly, nursing mothers should not drink such water either. The same applies to pregnant women, whose child directly receives the food and water that his mother eats and drinks.
There is also "table" water, which is classified as mineral. It is believed that it can be used every day. They think so, because in terms of the total amount of minerals, such water is fresh (mineralization is not more than 1.0 g / liter), however, there may be more of a particular mineral and this water, in fact, is a medicinal table. Therefore, it is not suitable for everyday use.
Now you know how exactly children's water differs from adult water, and what kind of water is needed for a child. We sincerely wish health to you and your children! And we hope you make the right choice.
Author: Maria Krupanova
Article published as part of the booklet "Useful information about bottled water" ISBN No.
