Is it ok to give newborns water if not why?

Answer 1

NO!
The AAP says that babies should recieve NOTHING but breastmilk or formula for the entire first 6 months. Breastmilk or formula are mostly water anyway.

Giving plain water can be BAD.

You'll fill babies tummy up with empty calories. Newborns need to EAT because they need to GROW. They have to double their birthweight in 6 months! They can't do that without the calories and nutrients of breastmilk or formula! Water would replace breastmilk or formula in their daily intake.

There is also something called water intoxication which can be DANGEROUS. Too much water dilutes a baby's normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death!!!!! NO WATER FOR INFANTS!

Answer 2

Yeah sure it's OK sometimes. Around 4 months old, but before then they get all the water they need from breast milk or formula. As a matter of fact the first milk that breast fed babies get from the breast is 80% percent water, then the fatty hind milk will come after that at the end of the feeding. Formula fed babies get there water from there formula bottles. I haven't given my baby any water yet and she's 3 months old. She has 9 sopping wet diapers a day and she poos like a champ so plain water isn't really needed. If your concerned about a hot day and dehydration however, you should see a pediatrician, because I am a gymnastics instructor, not a doc. :)

Answer 3

Giving a newborn water is not only un-necessary but it also isn't good for your newborn. Water has no nutritional value and your baby will get full on that and not the formula or b-milk. Infants don't really get thirsty that often if they do give them a little formula or b-milk

Answer 4

No, it's not OK to give newborns water unless your pediatrician has ordered it. Newborns' caloric needs are great. If you give the baby water, it will fill him/her up and he/she will not take as much breastmilk/formula as he/she would and should. It's imperative that your baby gets all of the calories that he/she can right now - a lot's going on in that little body that needs energy from milk.

Regarding the answer above mine: A lot has changed in 20 years and we now know that giving a newborn water can be detrimental to his health.

Answer 5

They need so much nutrition at this point, that water has little if any nutritional value. Breat milk, or formula is best because it has the fats, proteins etc that newborns need. Water can come much later, but right now newborns need the nutrition supplied by breast milk and/or formula. Oh! And DO NOT give a child under 1 year of age milk!

Answer 6

The main issue with water is that it is thinner than formula or breast milk and can therefore cause the baby to choke. It is not necessary to give an infant water, but if you chose to just be sure that you get a nipple that has the smallest size (and fewest) openings. If you are wanting to give water because you feel that the baby "needs" water don't worry about it. There is plenty of water in formula and even breast milk. If it is still a concern for you and you are formula feeding try switching to a powdered formula and you will kill two birds with one stone. Baby will get water that you can actually measure as well as formula.

Answer 7

I don't really think it is necessary to give a newborn water as all of the nutrients are in the breastmilk or formula. Sometimes if the baby is sick or not intrested in formula you can give pedialyte which is water consistency but it has more electrolytes in it than water(but I would let the pediatrician know that your doing this). I would be curious to see why you are wanting to give water instead of breast feeding or formula.

Answer 8

There is nothing giving a baby a bottle of water every once in a while, but a baby doesn't need water and you can cause an excess of fluid for baby..and that can be bad.. I would stick with water for at least the first six months..Formula or breast milk is just fine..

Be careful..too much water can be VERY bad..

Good luck

Answer 9

I gave my son just plain water for the first time around a month old. You're not really *supposed* to, because it's better for them to just drink formula or breastmilk. Their little bellies can't hold much yet, and water will fill them up to where they won't take in the nutrient-rich breastmilk or formula.

Sometimes, though, you know they're not hungry, but they think they want a bottle to fall asleep with, or just to play with, and water is perfectly fine then.

Or if it's a hot day, I give my son 2 ounces or so of plain cool water, because I know that I get thirsty in the heat, so he probably does too. And we occasionally do some of the gerber juices, and I water then down, 2 ounces of juice to a little less than 1 ounce of water, to cut down on the sugar intake.

In my last apartment, I used the bottled nursury water, which was basically bottled water with flouride added, but here I use the tap water (cause it's cleaner here) but there's no flouride in it, so his pediatriction prescribes him vitamin drops.

Answer 10

You really don't need to give your little one any water. Breast milk has enough water in it. Artificial baby milk is made with water. I would be careful about adding anything other than breastmilk for the first 5-6 months. You need to be careful about the baby taking in water as a replacement for the nutrients they need to grow. Water won't help double your birth weight within four months.