How many days can a newborn baby drink water? When does a newborn baby start drinking water?

My baby was born not long ago and has been fed with milk all the time. Recently, I want to give him some water. So how many days can a newborn baby drink water? When does a newborn baby start drinking water?

How many days can a newborn baby drink water?

Pediatricians recommend that you do not give your baby plain or distilled water until he or she is six months old. Babies get enough water from breast milk and other baby foods (such as formula). Because babies' diet is almost entirely breast milk or formula, and most of the breast milk and formula are water, babies usually do not need additional water. Once your baby starts to grow teeth, they will need fluoride to provide nutrition for the growth of new teeth, so it is time to let your baby drink drinking water. Some parents may want their babies to drink more water because they are afraid that their babies will be constipated. In fact, there are many reasons for baby constipation, which is mainly related to the function of their own gastrointestinal tract. Although eating habits have an impact on constipation, they are not the main factor. Therefore, the amount of water intake mainly affects the amount of urine, not the quality and quantity of stool.

What water to give to newborns

Boiled water is the best choice for babies. After multiple layers of purification, the microorganisms in the water have been killed by high temperatures, and the calcium, magnesium and other elements in it are very beneficial to the body. But be careful to give your baby fresh boiled water, because boiled water exposed to the air for more than 4 hours will lose more than 70% of its biological activity. Studies have found that boiled water cooled to 20-25 degrees Celsius after boiling has specific biological activity. It is very close to the characteristics of the baby's cell fluid, so it has a good affinity with the cells in the body, is easier to penetrate the cell membrane, enter the cell, and can promote metabolism and enhance immune function. Overcooled or overheated water will damage the baby's delicate gastric mucosa and affect digestion. Therefore, it is generally best for babies to drink boiled water at room temperature in summer, and boiled water at around 40 degrees Celsius in winter is most suitable.

Precautions for feeding water to newborns

1. Do not feed water to your baby within half an hour before meals

Although drinking more water can speed up metabolism and is good for health, for babies, drinking water at inappropriate times can easily affect their health! One of the inappropriate times to feed water is before meals. Drinking water before meals can dilute gastric juice, which is not conducive to food digestion. Drinking water before meals can also affect the baby's appetite. Therefore, it is necessary to let the baby drink a small amount of water half an hour before meals, which can promote the secretion of saliva and help the baby digest food.

2. Do not feed your baby water within 2 hours before going to bed

It is also not suitable to feed water to babies before going to bed. Young babies cannot completely control urination after deep sleep. If they drink too much water before going to bed, they will easily urinate. Even if they do not urinate, getting up several times a night to urinate will also affect their sleep. Therefore, mothers should try not to feed water to babies within 2 hours before going to bed; if it is really necessary, try to control the amount of water and let the baby lick it a little to quench his thirst.