Is there ever a need to give infants, 4 months old or younger, water on top of their formula or breast milk?

I used to give my daughter water in a bottle. Whether or not there’s a need, I don’t know, but I felt like it could not hurt.

Only if they’re constipated.

Otherwise giving them water isn’t recommended because it will fill them up without getting the proper nutrition. And if you give it to them too fast, their kidneys will flush out electrolytes that they need.

From what I understand it’s usually advised not to give water.

I always had a little bottle of water on hand for my daughter to get her used to drinking it or as a pacifier between bottles or when she was fussy. I think infants need water too and getting an infant used to drinking water is a great alternative to them only holding out for formula or sweet juices and gives them the extra sucking action in between feedings or if they need soothing. I am not a fan of pacifiers, so I think a little water bottle is a great alternative. Of course this was 27 years ago now, I have no idea of new guidelines prohibit water.

I think that’s pretty weird.

Yes, if they’re dehydrated from having a stomach bug. One of my kids went through a rough digestive thing for a few days as a young infant, we supplemented her breastfeed milk with distiller water.

An inch or two of water in a bottle is not going to ruin an infants appetite or screw up their electrolyte balance. If the infant is a poor feeder I might hold out but formula is very rich and I don;t care what “they” say I think a some water is good for babies.

@Coloma I think you need water to make formula most of the time. What I think they’re cautioning is giving kids water instead of breastmilk or formula.

Also, I don’t care what they say, (but I have nothing to back this up with) isn’t exactly the best advice.

Just sayin’.

@fluthernutter Of course there is water in formula and obviously nobody but an absolute moron would give an infant water in place of formula. I am simply advocating giving some additional water which can’t possibly hurt an infant and is good for them in other aspects as long as they are eating well and getting the nutrition they need. I think it also helps acclimate them to learning to drink water as they become older and is also not going to promote tooth decay as will formula and juice. My statement about not caring what “they” say stands, I meant it in the context that water is good for babies just like it is good for us.

I’ve got to start proofing! My autocorrect is goony. Sorry!

No.

OK, the original question, which prompted this one, was “Is it OK to give your 4 month old water along with his baby food.”
It confused the hell out of me. I said, “He’s really not ready for solid foods, if that’s what you’re suggesting, but if you do have him on solid food then use. Milk, water, juice, whatever.”

When my baby got teeth he didn’t get anything sweet in a bottle at night. No milk. Just water overnight.

But that’s at about 6 months, right? 4 month olds don’t normally have teeth.

We’ll, o of mine started teething at 4 months, but she was getting rice cereal in her bottle a little before that.

sorry, fat fingers. “ONE of mine…”

I just thought you was turnin’ Irish! LOL! I didn’t even notice it @canidmajor, till you said something. I automatically filled it in. :)

I reread it as ZERO of mine and thought you guys would be confused as to the specificity of what none of my kids had done. :-)

LOL! You are not confusing like that so…naw! No worries!

What about all those old time infant remedies like brandy and whiskey. Gah…it’s a wonder babies from centuries ago survived, and…Beyer made Heroin drops for teething infants. Here we are debating a little good ol’ H2O. hah.
Not PC but my friends and I used to joke about the “Dimetap nap” when our kids were little and had a cold. You got a good 3 hour nap or more out one teaspoon. lol

I felt the same way about Benedryl, @Coloma. I was kind of relieved when she got a cold!

I honestly don’t think a drop of brandy or whiskey would hurt a baby. I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t think it would hurt them.

@Dutchess_III True, not a few drops but I remember reading somewhere, sometime about the archaic practices of infant rearing back in like 15th/16th century Europe. Making “pap” out of flur and water with booze and giving this to newborns, it;s a wonder anyone ever survived those times. haha

What is flur, @Coloma?

^^^ Haha..flour.

OK! Cuz I did google it first! I would have known it was flour, esept I don’t speak French.

Fleur :-)

That’s “flower”. This I know.