How old does a child have to be to give them water?

Louise - posted on 04/19/2011

hi amanda,yes water is fine from 4 months as long as it is cool boiled water,as boiling it gets rid of germs .They do say if you breastfeed you dont need to,but my health visitor said to give it to my kids despite me breastfeeding.Put it this way it wont hurt as our bodies are made of water anyway!!!

April - posted on 04/19/2011

My kids doctor said they can have water at any age just don't over do it but if your doctor says otherwise then better to follow his/her advice. Better to ask your doctor so your more properly informed.

Rachel - posted on 04/18/2011

i gave my daughter water for the first time when she was roughly 12 weeks she got sick and wouldnt take a bottle ..... i thought u could give them water at anyage

Jole - posted on 04/18/2011

As for breastfeeding, I couldn't.I need milk in my diet for my health and strength, and my Lillian was allergic.Not lactose-all out allergic. Yeah sucks. :( Lucky if you can breastfeed, but even if she wasn't allergic, I wouldn't be able to. I have a severe dehydration problem. No idea why. No matter how much I drink, nothing works. So no problem with having more hydration in the body. You just never know til they say "I'm thirsty" LOL

Jole - posted on 04/18/2011

I have been giving Lill water and such for a long time. The Doctor said it's preferred during sippy cup stage but can also be given in a bottle. No large amounts due to throwup and gas cause of the bubbles and suction from the nipples. I always make sure I boil it first, around a liter or so. Then cool it in the fridge with some ice in the pitcher. Boiling it would help sterilize it from all the ick in the faucets and pipes, and not to mention the flouride content.(At least here in GA)

Hannah - posted on 04/18/2011

Babies get all the fluid they need from breastmilk. There is no reason to give them water. If anything, it will artificially make them full, and screw up your breastfeeding schedule. I was worried about dehydration with my first as we lived in a VERY HOT climate - and hte doctor reassured me that yes, my son was getting enough fluid from my breastmilk, if he was thirsty he would nurse, he would not dehydrate. and sure enough, the doctor was right.

While water will not harm them - it also does NOTHING for them. Juice only imparts sugar and empty calories and is best avoided altogether.

√v^√v^√♥ - posted on 04/18/2011

Yep, exactly what they said. I've been giving my baby water and apple juice 4oz maybe once a day 3 times a week since he was 4 months old because he's so big and hungry all the time we didnt want him to gain alot of weight. He's 5 months old now, 30 inches long and weighs 25lbs. Big guy lol

Kelsie - posted on 04/18/2011

water and juice are fine is what i was told at the 6 month check up. 4oz a day...as tolerated by your child. and i even water down his apple juice a little...makes it last longer and helps ease the transition. I was also told to only use a bottle for formula feeding so I got a soft nipple sippy for the juice and water. I guess it will help with the ransition later on.

Karen - posted on 04/18/2011

my baby's dr told me it was okay to give a couple ounces of water at his four month check up