Are you wondering when and how to give water to your baby?This should be done in case of fever, diarrhea or vomitingPhoto: Getty Doctors recommend eliminating liquids from the baby's diet if he is under 6 months old. This is especially true for infants who are breastfed and receive everything they need from their mother's milk. Refusing water before 6 months of age allows:

• Eliminate malnutrition - water replaces milk, while not saturating the child's body with the necessary nutrients;
• do not reduce the production of milk - the more the baby will drink water, the less milk will be produced by the mother's body;
• maintain a natural balance in the digestive system of the baby;
• postpone premature breast failure - from a bottle with a pacifier drink much easier.

A formula-fed baby can be given water as early as 4 months of age, but only as needed and not given frequently. A baby should drink no more than 100 ml of liquid per day.

When to give water to a baby

But there are situations when additional fluid is necessary for the baby:

• elevated temperature - it is necessary to give the baby a little drink and periodically moisten his lips with water;
• heat without temperature - it is permissible to give water in small quantities;
• diarrhea - should give the baby a little drink and always consult a doctor to rule out the possibility of poisoning;
• constipation;
• vomiting;
• hiccups - a few sips of warm water relieve spasm of the diaphragm during hypothermia, air in the stomach.

This is why you should give water to a baby. You need to do it correctly and only when necessary.

How to give babies water

When starting to give water to a baby, you need to follow the main rules:

Water should be offered to the baby, but do not insist. The best time for this is between feedings. If you do not want to drink, the baby will simply turn away or spit out the water.

Pediatricians recommend starting to give water to infants in small amounts, but not every day. It is better to start with 1-2 sips.

Preferably, give a liquid in the spoon. This eliminates the possibility of premature breast failure, and by the time of feeding, the baby will already have the skills to eat from the spoon.

It is important to choose the right drinking water for babies. Do not give water from open sources, carbonated or purified by conventional filters. Not too useful and boiled water.

It is better to give your baby bottled water.containing useful microelements and tested by the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Or give preference to water purified by special "children's" filters. Knowing when you can give water to a baby and how to do it correctly, you can help the baby without disrupting the digestive system. Read also:

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