Water is an essential element for humans and it is also for babies and children. However, we must bear in mind that not all waters are suitable as they may contain an amount of mineral salts that are inappropriate for children to eat.
Before you start talking about what water is better for babies and children It is necessary to answer a typical question:
Do babies need to drink water?
Babies fed with breast milk do not need to drink water for at least six months, which is when they usually start taking complementary feeding. Those fed with artificial milk do need it, obviously, because the milk is prepared with water, but they do not need it in isolation (in a glass, bottle or spoon) until the same time as infants, by six months.
The explanation is as follows: Breast milk is made up of 88% water and artificial milk, as we have said, is prepared with water (30 ml of water for each cup of milk) so all children are drinking water and also in sufficient quantity.
Once they start eating more salty or dry foods (meat, bread, cookies ...) they tend to be more thirsty and It may be a good time to offer some water.
We have specified this type of food because it often begins to supplement milk with fruits or vegetables and in this case, when all of them contain a sufficient amount of water, children will still not need it.
As with breast milk and artificial milk, the amount of water babies need is known only to them. Thirst is the mechanism that warns (and warns us) of the need to drink it.
And there is no time when they need it?
There are two cases in which you may need some water, in case of high fever or major diarrhea.
In these cases they can be offered some water to help hydrate.
Studies have been conducted with desert Bedouins and do not need water beyond what they drink with milk, so if they who live in the desert do not need it, our babies do not either.
Offering water often to a baby can cause him to drink it or not to drink it and to occupy a precious space in the stomach that would be better occupied with milk.
As we said a few days ago when talking about infusions, giving water to a baby can mean malnutrition, since water does not provide any nutrients.
What water is better for them?
In our environment, the most common is to choose between two types of water: tap water and bottled water.
Both are suitable for the consumption of the population in general, so in principle we will talk only about these two types of water (understanding that the difficult thing is to obtain non-potable water).
As the thing goes a little long, I will continue in a few days with the entry "What water is better for babies and children (II)".
