According to a new study, drinking too much water can be deadly for an infant. The study further states that even small amounts of water offer little benefit to babies.
Water is key to adult health, but babies get fully hydrated just from drinking breast milk.
The study also says that when babies drink too much water, their sodium levels drop too low to allow them to process nutrients which can cause seizures, coma and even death.
According to the study, for the first six months of their lives, babies are better off getting all of their calories and water from breast milk or baby formula, and KidNurse.com's pediatric nurse Danielle Stringer explains why.
According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, infants should consume exclusively breast milk - if at all possible - for the first six months of their lives, and continuing with supplemented soft foods and drinks through their first year.
According to a story published in Daily Mail Online, most pediatricians and nurses will warn parents against the practice. They say that babies simply have different needs from adults.
When babies drink too much water, it knocks their sodium to fluid ratio out of balance, and they can die of water intoxication. In fact, in rare cases when a baby is given an inordinate amount of water, this can happen suddenly, it's more likely to occur with small doses of water, over time.
The study further finds that long before they seize, 'a lot of babies will just start to show signs of malnutrition, such as losing weight and swelling.
Breast milk is about 88 per cent water, so new mothers that can breastfeed need not worry that their infants could get dehydrated.
So every time an infant is getting breast milk, they're getting mostly water, with just the right portion of calories.
However, if parents give their infant water, or watered down formula, their baby can quickly deteriorate and die.
