Public Service Announcement for Parents

[mykpart]

Because I was villified by a hostile member for saying that babies can be given water, I would like to post the following link from Akron Children's Hospital concerning water intoxication in infants:

https://www.akronchildrens.org/cms/tips/a1243eb144272bc6/in223.pdf

The second bullet under "Prevention" states:

"Babies under six months should not receive more than six to eight ounces of water, juice, Jello water or electrolyte replacement solutions such as Pedialyte, Ricelyte or Gatorade in addition to their daily formula intake. Infants ages six months to one year should be given no more than 8 to 12 ounces of other fluids unless under a doctor's supervision."

[reyd reid reed]

1. Someone said

That you can't give infants water? Huh? I gave water to all of mine...they didn't especially LIKE it, but hey...oh, well.

I guess maybe I had most of my babies in a different era. I also started 'em on solid food when they were six weeks old (rice cereal and stuff), then veggies a few weeks after that.

They were eating table food well before they were a year old.

Every one of 'em's healthy and the only allergies to food that they have is that two of 'em are allergic to bananas.

No water? What, are they nuts?

[LeftyMom]

2. There's no problem with giving them water on doctor's advice

However absent medical advice to the contrary, the only thing that should pass the lips of a child under six months is breastmilk. It used to be advised that additional liquid was needed to prevent dehydration but we now know that that's generaqlly not the case.

I suspect the advice on your link is a bit outdated, because nobody in thier right mind would give an infant jello water anymore- that was a rather outdated thing to to back when I was a baby even (I'm 25.)

[mykpart]

3. It's been a long time since my children were babies, but

the link says it was last updated on 2-10-06. I agree about the Jello water, though.

[purr]

4. I gave all 3 of mine water, fed them when they were 8 weeks old with rice

cereal and I had to stop breastfeeding my 8 month old son when he was 2 months old because I had to be placed on a very bad drug (flagyl) that I could NOT breastfeed with. So he was a formula baby. He loves juice and will drink water (1 bottle a day) for something to drink other than formula.

None of my kids had any issue with water or juices. My 5 and 2 yr old now prefer water over anything else to drink.. which is better than them wanting to drink pop and sugar juices all day long.

[Midlodemocrat]

5. Locking

Please do not call out other members of DU.

Thank you.

DU Moderator.