Feeding baby water may cause baby water poisoning? Should breastfed babies be given water?
For first-time mothers-to-be, many aspects of caring for a baby can be new, or even completely overwhelming. Therefore, they need to be careful when doing anything, and they will also have a lot of questions in the process of taking care of the baby. New mothers who have paid attention to the knowledge of infant feeding should know that there is a saying that if a breastfed baby is given water, it may cause poisoning. This statement makes many new mothers worry, because in real life, many new mothers actually give their children an appropriate amount of water while breastfeeding, so from a scientific point of view, doing so Is it right or wrong? Does breastfeeding still need to feed the child water? If water is fed, will it really cause the child to have a poisoning reaction, which will affect the child's health?
In our traditional view, adding warm boiled water between breastfeeding can effectively prevent the baby from dehydration. However, the current "breastfeeding new perspective" proposed by UNICEF believes that, in general, breastfeeding Babies do not need to add any food and drink, including water, within 6 months. However, formula feeding, mixed feeding, and exclusive breastfeeding are different ways to rehydrate your baby. Under normal circumstances, when the baby is breastfeeding, the mother should feed water appropriately when necessary according to the baby's specific situation.
Viewpoint 1: The main component of breast milk is water, which is enough to meet the baby's normal water needs.
Through the analysis of the composition of breast milk, the main component of breast milk is actually water, reaching 87.5%. This water is enough for the baby. Under normal circumstances, if the mother's breast milk meets the baby's needs and the quality of the breast milk is high-quality, then the heat and moisture of the breast milk can fully meet the baby's metabolic needs, and there is no need to give the baby any more. Feed water.
Breastfed babies who need relatively more water can adjust themselves by sucking on demand, so it is not necessary to give breastfed babies water. Especially for babies under 6 months, there is no problem with exclusive breastfeeding, and there is no need for additional water feeding. Mothers can rest assured about this.
When the weather is warmer, you will find that your baby tends to nurse more often, but only a few mouthfuls at a time. In this way, babies enable them to eat more foremilk, which is thinner and lighter than fat-rich hindmilk. So let your baby eat more when he wants to, so he can get plenty of water.
For exclusively breastfed babies, there is no need to add extra water before the official introduction of complementary food (about 6 months ago). On the contrary, feeding the baby water too early will make the water take up part of the stomach capacity, and the baby will become less active sucking, which will reduce the amount of milk they suck. Not only will it affect the baby's milk intake, but it will also inhibit the baby's sucking ability and reduce the amount of milk they actively suck from the mother's breast. This will not only prevent the baby from developing normally, but also cause the expectant mother to secrete breast milk. growth is detrimental. A study in the United States found that drinking too much water can put pressure on the baby's kidneys and may cause water intoxication because the sodium in the blood is diluted, and water intoxication is the biggest cause of seizures in babies.
Viewpoint 2: When the baby's body is in a special period of water shortage, it still needs to be given an appropriate amount of water.
Although breast milk contains a lot of water, it is enough to meet the needs of the baby. But there is another idea that when the baby's body is in a special period of water shortage, it still needs to be given the right amount of water. Every baby has its own unique personality. Whether it needs to drink extra water mainly depends on the baby's own state. When the baby's body is in a special period of water shortage, it still needs to be given the right amount of water.
If the temperature at home is very stuffy and not conducive to ventilation, the baby will become prone to sweating. If you find that the baby keeps licking his lips with his tongue, or when the baby's lips are dry, or when the diaper should be changed, he does not pee. Waiting for the reminder that the baby may be dehydrated! At this time, it is necessary to increase the amount of drinking water for the baby.
When the baby has high fever, severe diarrhea and dehydration, or takes sulfonamide drugs, some water will be lost in the body, so some warm water must be properly fed to supplement the missing part of the water. But we must pay attention not to give him water before feeding, so as not to affect the feeding.
For breastfeeding babies, if they can drink water and rinse their mouths after drinking milk, for example, they can habitually give the baby two sips of water, which can remove the remaining milk residue in the mouth and keep the mouth clean and hygienic, which is also good for the baby’s health. Very good!
In addition to exclusive breastfeeding, other artificially fed or mixed-fed babies must be properly fed. In addition, after the baby has passed 6 months, it is also necessary to add water in an appropriate amount between meals. This is not only good for the healthy growth of the baby, but also helpful for weaning the baby in the future.
Viewpoint 3: You can only feed your baby boiled water instead of fruit juice or sugar water
For exclusive breastfeeding, babies under 6 months do not need to be hydrated alone. Babies who are artificially fed or mixed-fed need to be fed some water appropriately. After adding complementary food, the baby should also be hydrated. The "water" mentioned here is not juice or anything else, but boiled water.
The custom in some places is to feed babies sugar water, which is actually a wrong approach. The six major nutrients that babies need in six months are contained in breast milk, that is, the six major nutrients that people must have: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. These nutrients are conducive to the baby's digestion and absorption, and their quality changes continuously with the baby's growth and needs.
Sugar water contains a certain amount of energy, which will affect the baby's demand for breast milk, resulting in a decrease in breast milk secretion. In addition, the fermentation of sugar in the intestine to produce acid can also cause bloating and diarrhea, increasing the risk of indigestion and other diseases in infants.
Summary: When breastfeeding your baby, it is usually not necessary to add too much water, because breast milk is rich in nutrients and water. However, if you encounter some special situations where your baby is seriously dehydrated, you must add water appropriately so that you can make up for the missing part of your body. In addition, babies who eat milk powder are prone to constipation, and the sodium content in it is relatively high, so it is necessary to add water to the baby between two milk meals.