According to a British doctor, giving water to an infant under six months can lead to hyponatremia, a drop in the level of sodium in the blood.
- Babies do not need to drink water until they are six months old.
- Their kidneys are not able to filter it properly, and this can lead to hyponatremia, a serious condition.
- It is recommended to give them water from 4 months, when they start to eat solids.
You have to drink before you feel thirsty and this should represent between 1.5 and 2 liters of water per day. These are the recommendations regularly made for adults: but what about young children? According to statements by a British doctor, Dr. Karan Raj, they should not drink water for six months. This is what he explains in a video published on TikTok and relayed by the British media DailyMail.
@dr.karanr Water & babies @Dylan ♬ original sound – Dr Karan Raj
Baby: what are the risks of giving them water before six months?
According to this health professional, the kidneys of babies are half the size of those of adults, which prevents them from filtering water properly. If they consume too much water, they risk hyponatremia. This complication corresponds to a drop in sodium, or salt, in the blood. “Excess water backs up into the bloodstream and dilutes the salt in the blood, says Dr. Raj. (…) It can cause all sorts of problems like brain swelling, seizures and even death.“This disorder occurs when adult people drink more than three liters of water a day. For babies, 200-250ml could be enough to trigger these symptoms.
Too much water can have another consequence for babies: as their gastric emptying is slower. This can lead to faster satiation. “This means that if a baby drinks water, then he may be too full to consume milk and may lack the energy and nutrients he needs.“, adds the British doctor.
Hydration: how much water to give children?
According to him, you should start giving water to breastfed babies when they start eating solid foods, around six months. I’Health Insurance specifies that it is possible to start earlier: “Currently, diversification is started in a healthy infant at the earliest after the age of 4 months and at the latest at the age of 6 months.“. In case of high heat, it is the mothers who must drink more. For non-breastfed babies, the English doctor believes that it is possible to give them a little water in hot weather. THE National Health Service, the British health authorities, advise giving them boiled and then cooled water. “Bottled water is not recommended as it is not sterile and may contain too much sodium or sulfate“, indicates the organization. In France, ANSES advise to look at the labels: “if you use bottled water, spring water or natural mineral water, make sure it is intended for infants”. She points out that once opened, it should be refrigerated and eaten quickly like any other food.