When do kids start drinking water?
It's finally starting to heat up around here, and we're thinking about hydration.
My four-month-old has only ever had breastmilk and formula, but our pediatrician has given us the go-ahead to start solids in another month or so. But I've never heard any specific guidelines on when kids need to, or should, start drinking water. When is the right time to start giving kids water to keep them hydrated? Or should we just stick with milk until they're old enough to say "I'm thirsty?" :)
2 Answers
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My pediatrician says that 7 months is the earliest because baby's kidneys aren't ready to filter water before then. As long as your baby drinks plenty of breastmilk and/or formula he shouldn't need any water... There are signs of dehydration that you should keep in mind like lack of wet diapers, dry mouth, sunken eyes, etc. but I guess this can only happen if you child is sick (e.g. diarrhea).
Here's an article on this subject on BabyCenter.com.
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I introduced water to both my kids when they turned 1.
