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May 27, 2008
Babies Should Not Drink Water
According to physicians at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, babies under six months of age should never be given water due to the risk of water intoxication.
"Even when they're very tiny, they have an intact thirst reflex or a drive to drink," Dr. Jennifer Anders, a pediatric emergency physician at the center said. "When they have that thirst and they want to drink, the fluid they need to drink more of is their breast milk or formula."
Babies' kidneys aren't yet mature, so giving them too much water causes their bodies to release sodium along with excess water, Anders said. Losing sodium can affect brain activity, so early symptoms of water intoxication can include irritability, drowsiness and other mental changes.
"It's a sneaky kind of a condition," Anders said. "Early symptoms are subtle, so seizures may be the first symptom a parent notices. But if a child gets prompt medical attention, the seizures will probably not have lasting consequences", she added.
Water as a beverage should be completely off limits to babies six months old and younger, Anders and her colleagues say. Parents should also avoid using over-diluted formula, or pediatric drinks containing electrolytes.
While it may be appropriate to give an older infant water to help with constipation or on a very hot day, and always check with a pediatrician first, and give only an ounce or two at a time, as reported by Reuters.
Posted by Stephen Betheil at May 27, 2008 01:29 PM
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