Why newborn babies should never drink water

Babies aged under six months should never drink water, as doing so could have fatal consequences.

A video from Tech Insider explains the risks of newborn babies consuming even the tiniest amount of water.

While adults are made up of 55-60 per cent water, the average baby is roughly 75 per cent water.

This means that even the smallest amount of H20 would affect the balance of water in a baby’s body.

This can potentially overload the kidneys, leading to a dangerous condition called hyponatremia.

Abbas Kanani, a pharmacist at Chemist Click, explained the impact to Yahoo Lifestyle saying the liquid can have serious impact on a baby’s organs.

“Kidneys are also too immature in infants under six and water can cause intoxication as a result of an imbalance in electrolytes such as sodium,” she said.

“This can cause hyponatraemia, which is where too much water has diluted the sodium levels of the body. This can cause complications such as swelling of the brain, seizures and, in extreme cases, death.”

Abbas then added that giving babies water can also affect their nutrition.

“Giving water to an infant can affect the baby’s ability to receive adequate nourishment.

“Their stomachs are so tiny and can fill up easily with water, making it difficult for them to get the nourishment they require.”

According to Pregnancy, birth & baby, If your baby is under six months old, they only need to drink breast milk or infant formula.

And while you can start giving them water after six months of age, Breastmilk or formula should still be their main drink until they reach 12 months of age.

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