Don't Swallow Your Gum by Aaron Carroll & Dr Rachel Vreeman
Author:Aaron Carroll & Dr Rachel Vreeman
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
ISBN: 9780141929262
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-10-07T16:00:00+00:00
Myth: Babies need water when it is hot outside
Just as many adults believe that they should drink eight glasses of water a day, many believe that babies need water too. Especially when it is hot outside, parents and those who advise parents often give babies water in addition to their formula or breast milk. In a survey of 642 mothers of eight- to nine-week-old infants, 61 per cent said their child drank some quantity of water and in amounts much higher than the intake recommended for infants younger than one year by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
While everyone needs to be hydrated, babies usually do not need any ‘extra’ water. Babies get the water that they need from their breast milk or formula. There are no studies to support the need to give infants any additional water. In contrast, the American Academy of Pediatrics specifically states that ‘until your baby starts eating solid foods, he will get all the water he needs from breast milk or formula’.
While there are no studies to support the need to give water to babies, there are studies that report some very real dangers of giving babies water. If infants get too much water, they are at risk of having too low a concentration of the normal electrolytes in their blood. A baby’s developing kidneys may not be able to get rid of the water quickly enough, leading to a build-up of water in the body which dilutes the sodium balance of the blood. This condition is called hyponatremia or water intoxication, and can result in seizures, coma and even death. Cases of hyponatremic seizures have been reported after parents fed babies commercial bottled water that is explicitly marketed for use in infants (sometimes called ‘nursery water’). Babies are even susceptible to hyponatremia if their parents do not mix their formula properly and add too much water to it. If your baby is throwing up and having diarrhoea, don’t just give them water.
Children who are ill may need extra fluids, but water is usually not the best choice. Oral rehydration solutions are better, and this is a good reason to consult your doctor if your baby or young child has a stomach bug. If you sense that your baby is thirstier on hot days, a little extra breast milk or formula (instead of water) will better help them to get the fluid balance they need without risking water intoxication.
These potential problems with too much water for babies are also why paediatricians are not necessarily big fans of early ‘swimming lessons’ for babies. ‘Water babies’ who swallow too much water during their ‘swimming lessons’ have developed hyponatremia and seizures.
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