Taking care of babies has never been easy for those with first-hand experience in parenting.
One of the common mistakes that these beginners often make is that they accidentally gave baby water.
Thus, we offer you this post with useful information on this topic. You’ll find out why such an action is not good, its consequences, and how to deal with your mistakes.
When Can My Baby Drink Plain Water?
When your baby is six months old, you can start to give him plain water.
At this point, his digestive system can ingest this liquid. However, you should give him a little bit of it, as he can’t drink much.
Otherwise, the liquid will pose harm or leave your child hungry. Babies are fragile, and even if he reaches the six months milestone, feeding him breast milk is still necessary.
Although the child can drink around this time, it is still not recommended. You won’t want your kid to get full from just water intake and ignore his meal after.
Besides, giving him too much of it can lead to other problems. Therefore, sticking to small sips every few hours will do.
What Happens If You Accidentally Gave Baby Water?
If you accidentally gave baby water, he might suffer from different health issues. Excess water is still a big no for their vulnerable system, even when your child is six or eight months of age.
Asides from losing appetite, doing so can lead to water intoxication, which is a nightmare for your small child.
Allowing the infants to drink too much and making them suffer intoxication is the worst thing that happens to your little ones.
Water intoxication is a potentially fatal disturbance where the normal balance of electrolytes in the baby’s body is pushed outside safe limits by excessive drinking.
This can lead to diluted electrolytes and sodium, as well as many health hazards:
- Seizures, especially violent ones since your child’s still small
- Body temperature drops low
- Abnormal bodily fluids like peeing and pooping
- Your baby feeling too full can result in him latching or unlatching repeatedly
- Increased pressure inside the skull can lead to brain damage and fatality
The same can be said with any juice. Therefore, we should be careful when feeding the babies. It would be best for him if you stick to breast milk or powdered formula.
Our Advice On Water For Babies
If you want to give your babies water, you need to ensure they are old enough to take it.
Otherwise, don’t even consider it if they’re under six months of age. It will only lead to problems and make your sweeties suffer.
Keep an eye on your babies and make sure that everything that is harmful to them is out of reach.
You can add water to the formula powder; just remember to read the instructions carefully beforehand so that the thing your child’s eating is completely safe.
Your six months old can try a little bit, but you must supervise him and do it in moderation. If you don’t want to give him any of that liquid, it’s okay.
In case your child swallowed this liquid under six months old or drinks too much when he’s old enough, you must take him to the hospital.
Under no circumstances should you let your babies consume it on their own as they might take in too much.
As mentioned above, just avoid all liquids except for breast milk and milk powder, and you won’t have to worry about putting your babies at risk.
Signs Of Water Intoxication In Infants
I accidentally give my newborn water; how do I know if he’s okay? We’ll show you what happens if you give newborn water below.
1. Irritable
The extra amount of liquid inside the newborn’s body breaks the electrolytes balance, leading to an altered state of some brain activities.
Because of this, your infants can be crankier or more irritable than usual.
2. Low Body Temperature
This is another sign of a water poisoning baby. If you notice his body temperature drops lower than 97 degrees Fahrenheit, you need to seek medical treatment immediately.
3. Swollen Face
The excess liquid will cause the baby’s body to produce more sodium, resulting in swelling in different body parts.
4. Other Signs
Aside from the symptoms above, your child can experience blurred visions, poor coordination, drowsiness, or become more fussy every time you sit down.
How To Prevent Water Intoxication
Never Dilute Liquid Formula Or Breast Milk
Don’t dilute the powdered formula more than the required amount. Likewise, never water down your breast milk.
Know Your Child’s Requirements
Consult a pediatrician or health professional to know his requirements for water intake as he’s growing up.
If there is a need to increase the liquid in his diet, the doctor will guide you on how to do it properly.
Never add water to his meal sooner than six months old or give him excessively on your own.
Never Leave Him Alone While Taking A Bath
Accidental ingestion can happen during the bathing time to small kids, which can easily harm them if they take in too much.
While staying with babies as they are taking a bath, you can teach your child how to play with cups.
That way, he’ll know other things to do with a cup besides drinking from it at a young age.
How Quickly Does Water Intoxication Happen In Babies?
According to a report, a healthy 22 years old prisoner drank 6 liters and suffered from hyponatremia in three hours.
Similarly, a 9-year-old girl was also on the receiving end of the same condition after one or two hours as a result of consuming 3.6 liters.
Thus, for small babies, the time for intoxication to occur can shorten, varying from under one hour to more.
If your baby comes down with this condition, take him to the emergency room as soon as possible.
Conclusion
We hope this article has improved your awareness and knowledge of safe infant feeding.
If you accidentally gave baby water, pay attention to the symptoms above and make the best course of action.
Continue your learning curve to be parents and how to nurture your small kids properly with us!
