Hazardous to health: why children under 6 months should never be given water

For people of different ages, there are standards for drinking water consumption. UaPortal analyzed why it is necessary to limit water consumption for babies.

Water consumption by babies under 6 months of age can have a very negative impact on their health. Dr. Karan Raj, a leading surgeon at the National Health Organization (NHO), warns of the risk of giving water to children under 6 months of age. According to Dr. Raj's explanation, newborns' kidneys are half the size of adults, so they may not filter water properly. This can result in a condition called hyponatremia or water intoxication: a condition in which excessive amounts of water dilute the salt in the blood. This can result in brain swelling, seizures, or even death.

This was reported by the Daily Mail.

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For such symptoms to appear, an adult should drink at least three to four liters at a time. For babies, up to 250 ml of water is enough. In addition, due to the fact that the baby's stomach will be filled with water, he will feel full for a long time and will not receive the right amount of nutrients from breast milk or formula.

As for the formula: despite the fact that it is made with water, the formula has a large number of nutrients and stays in the body longer, so it does not burden the kidneys. Breastfed babies do not need water at all until they are 6 months old, and formula-fed babies can be given a small amount of water in the heat.

It is also strictly forbidden to give babies mineral water because it contains a lot of sodium or sulfates and is not sterile.

Water should be given when the child starts eating solid food. It is better to buy special bottled water labeled "for children".

As a reminder, UaPortal has named 5 foods to eat before bedtime

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