Drinking water for babies

Newborns are commonly fed with breast milk or some milk formulas and these are all the fluid and nutrients little children need. The Department of Health recommends this type of diet for all babies younger than 6 months and only after that time the child can start to use some solid food, gradually. Along the solid food, the baby should take some fluids as well, besides the milk he or she will still be using.

Teach the kid to use the cup before the first birthday and he or she shouldn’t have teeth or speech problems.

What Fluids to Give to 6 Months Old Baby?

According to the specialists, the ideal drink is either milk or water. Also, if your child gets used to drinking water at this age, he or she won’t have weight problems in the future.

Some parents may want to give fruit juices to their child, which might be all right. However, keep in mind several guidelines. First of all even if you are giving your child fresh fruit juice it still contains some natural sugar. Because of that, use one part of fruit juice and 10 parts of cooled boiled water and give that to your baby. Avoid fruit squashes for older population because of artificial flavors and sweeteners. None of these is good for any baby and it is also strictly prohibited to be used in baby food. Also, avoid anything which contains artificial sweeteners (saccharin or anything else) unless your child is at least 3 years old. Avoid carbonated drinks in young children or regardless the age, if you can. These soft drinks are associated with tooth decay eve in pre-school kids.

Even if the package says something like ready-made baby drink, read the label carefully and watch for sugar content.

Water for Babies

In general, we can distinguish three types of bottled water, including: natural mineral water (NMW), spring water and table water. Natural mineral water is protected from any pollution and is not treated in any way. For any water to be labeled as NMW it takes 2 years of analysis but this is the purest water there is. Some of these waters may not be suitable for babies or kids, so always look for the label which says “suitable for making up formula”.

Spring water is also not polluted in any way, but it can be treated, according to the Drinking Water Regulations. Doctors don’t advise using these waters, since there is no mineral content on the label and you won’t know if it is harmless for your child. Bottled drinking water is known as table water. It can come from several sources, including public water supply, so treat it in the same way you would treat tap water.