From NBC10.com, Doctors warn Babies Should Never Drink Plain Water:

An infant has been admitted to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, suffering from water intoxication, a potentially fatal condition caused by giving a baby too much water.

Doctors warned Thursday that babies under the age of 6 months old should not be given plain water. Water intoxication happens when a baby’s body takes in more water than he or she can process.

“What can happen is they actually develop a dilutional affect. The water actually dilutes the amount of salt in their blood stream, and it can lead to seizures,” said Dr. Richard Scarfone. 

Infants up to 6 months old should only be given breast milk or formula. Babies 6 months old to 1 year old, in addition to breast milk or formula, may have 4 to 6 ounces of juice and up to 8 ounces of water a day. Do not give infants water if they have gastrointestinal problems, Scarfone said.

“It is especially dangerous if the baby is having vomiting or diarrhea. In that setting, you would want to give Pedialite because Pedialite has salt and has sugar in it,” Scarfone said.

The symptoms of water intoxication can be subtle. They can include a change in your baby’s behavior, including extreme fatigue or vomiting.

No update on the babies condition has been given, but I think it’s important to note, a baby can easily over-dose on water. Adults can too, but babies are especially susceptible.

[tags]children, babies, health[/tags]

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