Know The Right Time When Babies Are Allowed To Drink Water

JAKARTA - Every parent wants the best for their child. Especially for new parents who still have babies. Parents' concerns about the adequacy of their child's nutrition, especially the fear of their child's lack of fluids, inevitably led to the idea of giving children water as a complementary drink for breast milk.

This will not be a problem if your baby is 6 months and over. Launching the Very Well Family page, Monday, January 3, Krystyn Parks, a nutritionist for children and founder of Feeding Made Easy revealed that babies are not allowed to drink water until they are six months old.

"Before 6 months, giving babies water will replace formula or breast milk, meaning they won't be getting the nutrients they need," explains Parks.

When the baby reaches six months of age, water may be given but in limited quantities until the age of one year. Then, why are babies under six months not allowed to drink water? The answer is simple. At this age, babies get all the hydration they need from breast milk or formula.

If you're worried that your baby isn't hydrated enough, know that breast milk is 80 percent water. When the weather is hot or if you are worried that your baby is not getting enough fluids, give your little one breast milk or formula instead of plain water. In addition to containing a lot of water, breast milk and formula also offer many important nutrients that water does not have.

"Babies generally rely on volume as a sign that they've reached the right amount of nutrition, so if you give them water, or anything other than breast milk or formula, it can be hard for them to know if they're getting what they need," Parks notes.

In addition, giving water to babies before the age of six months is also quite dangerous from a nutritional point of view. Babies can experience malnutrition, supply problems, and unintentional premature weaning. Unclean water can also increase the risk of diarrhea or infection in children.