Why can't babies drink water? & bull; hello healthy

You may often hear that babies who are exclusively breastfed cannot be given plain water. You may also have asked why it is like that even though water is a must for adults to drink. Breast milk also contains water, but simply giving plain water to an exclusively breastfed baby can make the baby said to be no longer exclusively breastfed. Yes, giving plain water to babies who are exclusively breastfed is not allowed. Why?

Why can't babies drink water?

Maybe this is trivial to you. It's only water, but why shouldn't babies under 6 months of age get it? Apparently, giving water to babies can cause health problems. Yes, babies who get plain water at an early age can cause the baby to experience diarrhea and malnutrition. Impressed small things, but the impact can be big for the health of the baby.

Diarrhea

Water given to babies may not be clean and may contain bacteria that cause the baby to become infected. The body of babies under 6 months of age does not yet have a strong immune system to fight infection, so babies are more prone to developing infectious diseases, such as diarrhea.

ALSO READ: Causes of Constipation and Diarrhea in Newborns

Malnutrition

Giving water to babies less than 6 months old can interfere with the baby's body's ability to absorb nutrients from breast milk. Giving water to babies can also make babies full, so they don't want to breastfeed anymore. This makes exclusively breastfed babies receive less breast milk or can even stop the baby from breastfeeding. This is why babies who are given plain water can become malnourished.

If the baby rarely feeds and is given water more often, of course, the mother's milk production can also be less. How often the baby feeds is closely related to how much the mother's body can produce milk. It is like a cycle of mutual influence.

Water poisoning

This may be a rare case, but too much water getting into the baby's body can cause the baby to become water poisoned, which can lead to seizures and even a coma. Water poisoning occurs when too much water in the baby's body reduces the sodium concentration in the body. This causes disruption of the electrolyte balance in the body and can cause the tissues in the body to swell.

Babies under 6 months of age actually don't need water either. Don't worry that your baby will become dehydrated if you don't get plain water. The breast milk that babies receive actually contains more than 80% water. So, by breastfeeding, the baby is getting enough fluids. Breastfeeding ASI can quench the baby's thirst, it also protects the baby from infection because it contains antibodies that the baby needs. In addition, of course, breast milk contains many nutrients necessary for the growth and development of babies. This is also the reason why WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a baby's life.

ALSO READ: Facts About Exclusive Breastfeeding

When can babies start drinking water?

When the baby is a little older, around the age of 4-6 months and you have started introducing him to solid food, you can give him a few spoons of water several times a day. We recommend that you do not have more than 60 ml or about 4 tablespoons a day.

Some babies may also need plain water at this age to prevent or treat constipation. But, also not too much, try only 60 ml a day and continue to breastfeed the baby with breast milk. Breastfeeding your baby can also help prevent or treat constipation because breast milk also contains fluids.

For older babies, who have reached the age of 1 year, you can give them regular drinking water. Babies also need to drink water after they eat solid foods. Give water to the baby after eating using a small cup or glass, you do not need to give it by bottle. You can also continue to breastfeed your baby at this time because the baby still needs the nutrients and antibodies contained in breast milk. Continue to breastfeed the baby and offer the baby enough water. Let the baby choose to drink water now or later. At an older age, babies can already choose what they need.

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