From Infants to Toddlers: When and How Much Water Is Essential?

Many parents do not know when (at what age) they should start giving water to the baby. Adults need to drink a certain amount of water every day, but this is not the case with babies. The water requirement of children and infants may vary depending on their age. If the body of the infant is not ready to digest water and in such a situation, they are given more water, then it can have serious side effects on the health of the child. Let us know further how the physical development of the child takes place and at what age it is considered appropriate to give him water.

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Babies From Birth To 4 Months
Babies who drink mother's milk do not need water. Mother's milk is complete to fulfill all the nutrients and liquids required for the baby. This keeps the baby's body hydrated (normal amount of water). Therefore, it can be said that as long as you are breastfeeding your baby, you should not worry too much about giving him water.

Along with this, babies who drink packaged milk also do not need much water. Mostly, there are some special instructions given for making packaged milk, in these instructions it is advised to add a certain amount of water. If you prepare it according to the methods mentioned, then packaged milk also maintains a certain amount of water in your child's body.

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Babies From 5 To 12 Months
Until the baby is 6 months old, he does not need any other liquid except mother's milk. When you gradually start giving solid food to a baby of five to eight months, then he can be given water to drink.

Continue breastfeeding your baby even after he is one year old. During this time, you can also give the baby mixed juice or water with food, while other types of beverages like cold drinks etc. should not be given to the baby. Many times women worry about the baby being thirsty all the time, but after a few days of starting to drink water, the baby himself becomes restless and starts showing signs of being thirsty.

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Next, how much water should you give to children has been explained in detail -

How much water should be given to a baby from 6 to 12 months

When the baby is only breastfed, he drinks about 708 grams to 850 grams of milk every day, but as the baby starts taking other solid foods, the amount of milk he drinks decreases and he starts drinking about 396 grams to 708 grams of milk in a day.

The habit of a baby to drink milk depends on the food items given to him and the number of meals he eats. Food items are given for complete nutrition and proper development of a baby between 6 to 12 months.

In this sequence, food items are started to be given to the baby gradually. If at this time the baby drinks sufficient quantities of canned and mother's milk, then he needs two to four ounces of water i.e. about 60 to 110 grams of water throughout the day.

How much water should be given to a baby above 12 months

By the age of 12 months, the habit of drinking milk reduces and the child drinks only 16 ounces i.e. 450 grams of milk in a day. At this time, make the child habituated to eating in the morning, afternoon and evening. Apart from this, try to give different food items to the child. Due to reduction in drinking milk, consumption of other food items and increase in physical activities, the child naturally starts feeling the desire to drink water.

According to experts, a one-year-old child needs to drink about 1.3 liters of water in a day, which includes milk, food and liquids from other sources. By taking a certain amount of water or liquid, the process of bowel movement of the child becomes normal and there is no shortage of water in the body.

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Give boiled water to the child to drink. For this, boil the water and cool it to normal temperature. By boiling water, all the microorganisms present in it are destroyed and the risk of infection from this water is also reduced. Experts say that this water can also be used while preparing packaged milk.

To give water to the baby, you should use such a cup from which the child can drink water easily. Most people use a sipper for this. Below you are being told some such measures with the help of which your child will start drinking water easily.

Give water to the child in a cup or sipper only. In the beginning, you should help the baby to drink water. 

It is common for the cup to fall from the baby's hand and his throat to get blocked while drinking water for the first time. In such a situation, do not panic, to avoid this, give the baby a little water to drink at a time. 

While giving water to the baby, keep the cup on his lower lip, so that he can understand the right way to drink water. 

The baby learns many things by imitating the parents, so while drinking water yourself, you can tell the child the right way to drink water from the cup. 

The child likes to drink water in a sipper or cup of new design or different colors. Along with this, you can also use straws of different colors (Straw: pipe for drinking water or juice). 

Before giving water to the baby, also take care of the external environment. Babies are not able to control their body temperature like adults, so it is difficult for them to normalize their body temperature quickly. Therefore, encourage the child to take liquids before and after physical activities. According to experts, a child needs about 4 ounces i.e. 100 grams of liquid every 20 minutes.

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Giving water to the child before 6 months can lead to infection. Also, due to this, the child's milk intake also decreases, due to which the child does not get adequate nutrition. In severe cases, there are chances of water intoxication due to the child drinking too much water. In this problem, due to sodium dissolving in the blood of the child, the tissues get swollen, which is fatal for the activity of the brain. The following types of symptoms are seen when water intoxication occurs.

• Coma or seizure 
• The initial symptoms of water intoxication include irritability,
• lethargy,
• low body temperature, 

If such symptoms appear, take the baby to a doctor immediately.

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The time and amount of water to feed young children depends on their age, activity level, and weather. Infants younger than six months get enough liquid from mother's milk or formula milk, so they do not need extra water. After six months, small amounts of water can be given as solid food is introduced. Children over one year of age may need 1 to 1.5 liters of water a day, which varies according to their thirst and activity.

It is important to give children enough water in summer to avoid dehydration. Give children small amounts of water frequently and make sure they drink clean and safe water. Avoid giving too much water as it can cause stomach upset. Decide the amount of water according to the child's age and need with the advice of the doctor.