The health of the baby is one of the main concerns of mothers and fathers. Everyone knows that water has great importance for the formation of the child’s body and strengthening the immune system, and the habit of drinking water regularly and in sufficient quantities makes the child healthy and smart. That is why parents are concerned with questions: how much water is it advisable for children to drink per day, what is the best way to quench thirst, why is it so important to maintain a drinking regime, what to do if a child refuses to drink water?
Why does a child need to drink water?
Without exception, all processes in the human body take place with the participation of water. In the process of life, fluid leaves the body, and therefore its amount must be regularly replenished. Impaired water balance can lead to dehydration, which, in turn, can cause headaches and fatigue, increases the risk of allergic reactions and metabolic problems, provokes constipation and bad smell from mouth.
Need to know
The main signs of lack of water in a baby:
Increased thirst, frequent requests for water
- Lethargy, decreased activity
- Dry and pale skin
- Thick or absent saliva
- Dry mucous membranes (lips, mouth, tongue)
- Drooping fontanelle (in children under one year old)
- Hoarse voice, dry cough
- Lack of urination for more than 4-6 hours (the child, especially during the newborn period, urinates after each meal), while the urine has dark color or Strong smell
How much water should a child drink
According to WHO recommendations, children under 6 months of age who are breastfeeding, no need to give water. Mother's milk adapts perfectly to the baby's needs. But at the same time, it is important that the nursing mother consumes enough water herself and does not feel thirsty.
If the child is bottle-fed or mixed-fed, then water must be used to prepare formulas and additionally given between feedings from the first day of life. In order to maintain the proper level of moisture in the body, a baby up to one year old needs 50 ml of water for every kilogram of weight, but it is worth considering that the child receives approximately 75% of water from mother’s milk and formula. Therefore, the average daily water requirement for children of this age can be calculated as follows: from the fluid requirement (the child’s weight multiplied by 50 ml), the amount of water received with food should be subtracted (the volume of formula drunk multiplied by 0.75).
For example, a child weighs 10 kg and drinks 300 ml of formula per day:
10 kg X 50 ml = 500 ml
300 ml X 0.75 = 225 ml
500 ml - 225 ml = 275 ml
275 ml is the amount of water that a child should drink per day.
How much water should a child aged one year and older drink? Modern nutritionists believe that children from one to three years old need to drink 0.5-1.3 liters of water per day (approximately 50 ml for each kilogram of the child’s weight); from three to seven years - about 1.5-1.7 liters; over seven years old - on average 1.7-2 liters.
Wherein we're talking about exactly about clean water(tea, juice, compote are not taken into account). You can offer your child tap water, after filtering and boiling, as well as special industrially produced baby water.
Need to know
At least until the age of three, children should not be given sweet carbonated water, as well as kvass, store-bought juices “for adults,” medicinal and therapeutic-and-prophylactic water. Pediatricians do not recommend giving regular black or green tea to children under two years of age.
Doctor's advice
Drinking while eating is not recommended. This is due to the fact that water dilutes gastric juice and slows down the absorption of food. You need to drink 30 minutes before meals and an hour after. It's okay to drink between meals daily norm liquids. However, if you need to take a pill with a meal or you don’t want to eat dry, you can take a few sips of water.
Candidate of Medical Sciences, nutritionist, gastroenterologist Ksenia Selezneva
How to teach a child to drink water
Habits formed in childhood remain for life. That is why caring mothers and fathers try to make sure that their child from the very beginning early years drank plain water in sufficient quantities and with pleasure. You can find a lot of useful tips on how to do this in parent forums:
- Why doesn't the child drink water? Most likely because it is a tasteless and odorless liquid, it is quite difficult to get used to it at first. Babies should be introduced to water gradually, offering it in small portions several times during the day between feedings.
- Some mothers, wanting to accustom their child to water, add a little sugar or fructose, a couple of drops of juice, baby tea, compote or other drink for a “hint of taste”, and after the child has “tasted” the liquid, they try to reduce the amount of additives to minimum.
- If your child doesn't drink much liquid, you can experiment with dishes. Some kids drink exclusively from a regular glass or spoon, while others prefer sippy cup or sippy cup, some people like sports bottles with a retractable spout or a special valve.
- Another mother’s trick: if the child drinks little, then you can seduce the baby with (shiny, bright, intricately curved, changing color) or a mug with beautiful design, for example, with the image of his favorite cartoon character.
- Many parents have success by playing around with the need to drink water. For example, you can invite your child to arrange a meal for the dolls, where the main treat will be plain water. Let your baby set an example for the toys and take a few sips himself.
- Life hack from experienced parents: keep a cup or bottle of water handy while playing or watching a cartoon! When the baby is passionate about something, it is much easier to give him something to drink.
- Mothers have noticed that some children are more willing to drink warm water, others cold. Some kids have a tradition of drinking a little water in the morning, immediately after waking up, while others can happily take a sip from... the bathroom while bathing!
- Parents are unanimous in the opinion that personal example is the most effective way to develop healthy and good habits. If mom or dad, older brother or sister constantly drinks water in front of the baby, then he will most likely reach for a cup, because children really like to imitate adults.
- It is very important to make water accessible. Let the bottles be in the kitchen and in the children's room. The main thing is that the child can easily see and reach them, and then open and drink on his own.
- An unusually shaped ice cube, a frozen berry or a piece of fruit in a glass of water will definitely interest children. Don't worry, this won't cause your baby to catch a cold. Many parents regard cold water as a hardening element.
- Sometimes rituals help teach a child to drink water. For example, “drinking breaks” during walks, during which each family member, including the youngest, takes a couple of sips from his bottle.
- If you can’t persuade your child to drink a lot of water, then maybe he will want to “eat” it? For example, cucumbers, asparagus, cabbage, zucchini, celery, grapefruit, oranges, watermelon, green bell pepper contain about 90% life-giving moisture.
- Almost all parents have had situations when there was a need to force a small child to drink water, to give the baby something to drink against his will, for example, when there were signs of dehydration. This can be done using a pipette or syringe without a needle. Place a pipette or syringe in the child's mouth behind the cheek, then carefully pour the water so that it gently flows down the throat, and the baby will reflexively swallow it without choking.
Doctor's advice
It is very important to teach a child to drink plain water from childhood. This is a very healthy habit for life. Water is one of the healthiest drinks. There are no calories in it, there is nothing unnecessary or harmful... And even though there are no vitamins in drinking water, it plays a vital role: it maintains fluid balance in the body.
Pediatric urologist-andrologist, professor, doctor of medical sciences Dmitry Tarusin
Need to know
It is especially important to observe the drinking regime if the child is sick (he has elevated temperature, vomiting, diarrhea), with increased physical activity, as well as in hot weather or when the air in the room is dry.
Useful video:
Dr. Komarovsky tells how to protect a child from dehydration and how you can get your baby to drink water
All about water and the importance of maintaining a drinking regime in the “Live Healthy!” program.
Blogger and experienced mother Tamara Sazonova spoke about five effective ways give the child something to drink
useful links
Map of Russian water. The water map is compiled on the basis of water samples taken from various sources - water pipes, pumps, wells, springs, rivers, lakes and many other sources. These samples are analyzed in an accredited laboratory, and the resulting data is entered on the map.
Tatiana Petulko
When a baby appears at home, it is a joy, but at the same time you want to know the answers to all the exciting questions related to the baby. It is good if the baby does not need various medications and other drugs, is cheerful and healthy throughout the very first year of his life. From the first months there are situations when a newborn will need to be given water. A child does not always readily drink liquid even from a bottle, so how to teach a child to drink water is a pressing question for many mothers.
Why does a child need water?
Water is an elixir that is needed by both adults and children. The human body consists of a large amount of fluid, its reserves must be constantly replenished.
During breastfeeding, children receive mother's milk, which is 80% water. Babies need water in the willow, since the mixture is thick in consistency and the intestines will have difficulty coping with it. If there is not enough fluid, babies will experience constipation and disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.
The meaning of additional soldering:
- Saves from overheating and dehydration;
- Helps normalize cell division and active growth of the baby;
- Removes toxins;
- Invigorates.
How much fluid does a newborn need?
The norms and amount of water depend on the age, weight and nutrition of the baby. So, you can avoid using it while on guard for up to 6 months. Infants need to additionally give it in the amount of 20 ml 4-5 times a day, and also clearly monitor the amount of liquid introduced into the mixture.
Advice. After introducing complementary foods, the amount of liquid is calculated using the formula: 50 ml * child’s weight.
When to give
Newborn babies who are breastfed do not need additional water until they are 6 months old. By six months, most children begin using solid food, then the habit of drinking starts. For bottle-fed babies, the rules are different - after the first month they begin to learn to drink from a special drinking bowl, bottle or even mug. Children especially love the sippy cup, from which they can quickly and independently learn the necessary techniques.
Important! Most pediatricians believe that both artificially born and breastfed children need fluids a month after birth. The recommendations are supported by the opinion of WHO. Supplementation of children is necessary in hot weather, with colic, constipation and congenital jaundice.
How to train
How to quickly teach a baby to drink water? Follow these rules:
- Liquid temperature – no higher than 25 degrees;
- During breastfeeding, offer not bottles, but a sippy cup, spoon or syringe;
Note! If you give a baby a bottle, there is a chance that he will refuse the breast.
- Do not sweeten the liquid with anything;
- Give water between feedings;
- The sippy cup should always be accessible;
- Show by personal example that mom and dad drink water.
Features of training at 4-6 months
It is best to offer infants aged 4-6 months a sippy cup, mug or spoon for drinking liquids.
Additional Information. Some mothers immediately give a mug, explaining that this way the baby will quickly learn to drink water correctly.
How to teach how to use a sippy cup
When to introduce a child to a sippy cup? You can start from 4 months. The baby already knows how to swallow, sit and hold his head.
How to teach your child to use a sippy cup correctly:
- It is better to sit at a table or on a chair;
- Do not play with the drinking bowl;
- At first the baby drinks only water, then compotes and juices;
- Help the baby - hold the bottom of the sippy cup;
- First, bring the drinking bowl to your face, tilt it, and give the baby time to swallow. It is important that he does not choke;
- If the baby does not want to take a sippy cup, immediately give him a mug;
- Wash the sippy cup regularly - dirt and bacteria often accumulate on it;
- Dry the item in a natural way, do not wipe with a towel;
- The silicone tip can be boiled for 2-3 minutes.
How to teach to use pills
How to teach a child to take pills is a particularly important question. It so happens that not all medicines for newborns are syrups and suspensions. There are both tablets and capsules. There are several rules that will make the process easier.
Rules for taking tablets and capsules:
- Find out exactly from the pediatrician how much medicine the baby needs, whether it can be combined with food;
- How to swallow a capsule for a child - carefully open it, pour the powder into a small amount of water, give from a spoon or insert into the baby's mouth with a syringe. You can use the same method with a tablet, which is easiest to grind with two tablespoons;
- For dilution, use the liquid indicated in the annotation. It can be not only water, but also milk.
Why does the baby drink little?
If a child does not want to drink water, then perhaps a personal example will help speed up the process. If everyone in the house drinks tea and coffee, then you may not even expect your baby to start drinking liquids.
Parents' mistakes:
- The liquid is replaced with drinks, fruit drinks and juices. It is logical that from the usual neutral water the child will refuse;
- The drinking bowl is not freely accessible, so the baby is distracted by games without finding it next to him.
If the baby drinks little, then you should carry out a special ritual associated with the intake of liquid, do not give any juices, teas or compotes, but offer only water to quench thirst.
Important! Don't panic - children will quickly learn to drink water if there are no other alternatives.
Possible difficulties
The most common problem is the child’s reluctance to drink liquids. This happens not only with small children, but also with babies who are already one year old. Here you can use a trick: ask your child to choose his favorite mug. The baby will happily pour any liquid into it, even neutral liquid, and drink it with pride.
In some cases, if the baby is still very tiny, you should postpone training for some time, then gradually introduce water into the diet, starting with 1-2 teaspoons per day.
Teaching children to do anything is patient and consistent work. You shouldn’t be too harsh, it’s better to turn everything into a game. In this case, a positive outcome is guaranteed.
Video
Water is the source of life. Therefore, from infancy, parents teach their children to drink water in the required quantity. With its help, a person is saved from thirst and dehydration. It protects against mental overload, relieves fatigue and refreshes. But you need to consume it almost like a medicine - following the regimen and the correct dosage. Lack or excess of fluid in the body leads to irreparable consequences for health.
Why do babies need water?
There are a number of reasons why a person cannot live without water:
- water is involved in the digestion process and is a component of gastric juice;
- thins the blood;
- removes toxins, preventing the development of infection;
- maintains tissue elasticity, cartilage and joint strength;
- slows down the withering process;
- Helps control the amount of fatty tissue.
Scientists are divided into two camps. Some are ardent opponents of feeding a child before complementary feeding is introduced. In their opinion, breast milk contains enough liquid. The exception is for bottle-fed babies - they are recommended to be given water from birth. Another group of experts is convinced that water should be given to children as early as possible. When your baby has a fever, give him something to drink more often to avoid dehydration. It is unwise to urgently accustom a sick child to water - it is easier to introduce the baby to water in advance.
Liquid intake norms
A baby who was born in the warm season can drink 1 teaspoon of baby in the first month of life. drinking water. If the baby was born in winter or autumn, offer him the same dosage at 4 months.
There are several calculation methods required quantity liquids.
- For breastfed children.
The basis is a constant unit: 100 ml of liquid per 1 kg of baby’s weight. All fluid intake is taken into account, including breast milk. So, if a baby weighs 7 kg and consumes 700 ml of milk per day, there is no need to supplement it.
- For bottle-fed babies.
The calculation formula becomes more complicated. Please note that the mixture contains only 75% water. The amount of water used in the mixture is subtracted from the total amount of liquid required. For example, a baby weighs 10 kg; he eats 300 ml of the mixture per day. He needs 10*100-300*0.75=775 ml of water.
- General information for older children.
- Special calculation formula.
If you prefer an individual approach, we offer you a special calculation formula. The child’s weight is multiplied by 2.205 and divided by 2. The result is divided by 8 and multiplied by 240. For example, a child weighs 20 kg, which means he should consume 20*2.205/2/8*240=662 ml of water per day.
- You need to start feeding your baby with small doses of a few drops. For convenience, you can use a pipette or syringe without a needle.
- Don't force your child to drink against his will.
- Avoid adding sugar or food coloring as this puts extra stress on your kidneys.
- Pay attention to your baby's mood. If he is not in a good mood and refuses water, try again the next day.
- Buy a colorful sippy cup. First, make it a toy, then pour some water into it. Offer the sippy cup regularly, one day the baby will become interested in it.
Act out an exciting scene. For example, let the sippy cup become your flying ship, imitate the sounds of flight. The main thing is that the baby is comfortable and happy. Then he will begin to look forward to the next time you take out this toy.
For an older child, such tricks will not be enough. To teach a child to drink plain water, experienced teachers suggest adding the following techniques to your arsenal.
- Provide your little bully with constant access to water. He should always be able to take a bottle and drink. Often children do not realize that they are thirsty, but a familiar object will create the necessary association.
- Enter the 5 sips rule. If the little one is convinced that he doesn’t want to drink, offer him only 5 sips. As a rule, children drink more.
- For a baby older than one year, it is permissible to add a couple of tablespoons of freshly squeezed juice to the water. The child will be attracted by the color and smell.
- Instead of a sippy cup, buy a themed cup. For example, if a boy loves cartoons about superheroes, give him a cup with their images. Tell me, if you drink ordinary water from it, you will become smart, like fixies, etc.
Difference between water and other drinks
Young parents should know that our body perceives juice, compote, tea and other drinks as food. Filtered boiled water- a means of quenching thirst for humans. If you constantly drink drinks other than water between meals, your stomach will work without rest. His Full time job leads to disorders in the digestive system. That’s why it’s so important to give your baby water on demand and take a bottle with you on walks.
If your little one doesn't want to drink water because he prefers something sweeter, try making his favorite drink less concentrated. Dilute it with water: first by one-fifth, then by a quarter, then by a third. Gradually you will teach your baby to drink water.
Drinking plain water is a healthy habit for life. There are no calories, nutrients or vitamins in the water. But it maintains fluid balance in the body. Remember this and do not put off teaching your child to drink water for too long.
Often breastfed babies have an extremely negative attitude towards their mother’s attempts to exchange the breast for a silicone nipple, and milk for a nutritional formula.
Naturally, after a certain period of time the child will have to come to terms with an unequal replacement. However, it is possible to significantly facilitate this process, armed with patience and numerous useful recommendations from specialists.
Usually, breast milk is enough for a newborn baby who is breastfed. But in certain cases, it is still necessary to accustom a child to a bottle.
The most common causes of such situations are presented below:
- Children under 4 months often suffer from colic and abdominal pain due to imperfections digestive system. In this case, special herbal decoctions come to the rescue - for example, dill water. It is also given in a bottle.
- The need to supplement the baby's food appears in the spring and summer due to dry air in the room or due to high temperature. However, doctors are convinced that it is not necessary to specifically give water until 4 or 6 months, even in these cases. The child will receive the necessary liquid with milk.
- Switching to a bottle “surrogate” is possible if the mother or baby is ill. Sometimes a nursing woman is forced to take medications that are contraindicated during lactation, then the baby temporarily feeds on formula. Due to the fact that the baby also needs to be switched to special baby food.
- Not all nursing mothers can sit quietly on maternity leave. By various reasons it ends prematurely when the child turns, for example, 4 months. There are also frequent cases when women are absent for a long time, and the baby remains with relatives.
The most common reason for turning to a bottle is a lack of breast milk or the baby is premature. In the first case, they resort to artificial mixtures, in the second, expressed breast milk is more often used.
But it’s one thing when the habit of eating from a bottle has been formed since birth. But if previously the baby sucked exclusively on the mother’s breast, the process of accustoming to a different “container” can take up to 4 weeks or more.
Before using the advice of specialists and experienced parents, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the current situation. And the first step that a mother should take is to analyze the goals for which she plans to teach her baby a bottle.
For example, some women introduce their children to this device to make it easier to take medicines. However, in this case there is obvious inexpediency of attempts.
To give your child a liquid medication, you can use several alternatives:
- beaker;
- needleless syringe;
- teaspoon.
Of course, the baby will not like such manipulations, but for short-term use of medications such options are more preferable than fully accustoming the baby to a bottle.
If, indeed, the situation does not suggest any other way out than the final refusal of breastfeeding, then artificial feeding using a pacifier remains the only alternative.
Why won't the baby take the bottle?
To accustom your baby to replacing his mother's breast, you need to understand why he is against receiving formula from a bottle. There may be several reasons for this:
- The most obvious reason is that the baby is simply not hungry. To a small child Milk or formula is enough, but when he gets a little older (after 4 months) and starts moving actively, he will get used to the bottle sooner. Thus, the smaller the baby, the more difficult it is to wean him to a breast replacement.
- Also, the baby may not be satisfied with the contents of the bottle. Babies who have previously tried breast milk do not always quickly switch to nutritional formulas, each of which has its own taste. Mom will have to change several product options before finding the optimal mixture.
- The baby is extremely picky in terms of food temperature due to the high sensitivity of the oral mucosa. If your child does not drink from the bottle, the formula may feel too cold or scalding. Optimal temperature– 37 degrees, just like breast milk.
- Also, the baby may react negatively to the feeding device itself. It is only the mother who thinks that the bottle is ideal, but the child is not satisfied, for example, with the width of the hole in the nipple, which affects the baby’s absorption rate of food, the smell and taste of the silicone product, and the shape of the container.
- A child who was introduced to a bottle at 4 or 5 months may not immediately understand the purpose of this tool. As a result, instead of receiving nutrient liquid from the container, it begins to play, turning the useful device into a gaming accessory.
Sometimes the reason for unsuccessful training is a psychological factor. For example, a baby receives formula for the first time in a hospital or after an emergency separation from his mother. In this case, he begins to associate negative emotions exactly with a bottle and mixture.
2 ways to teach a baby to use a bottle
The question of how to teach a child to drink from a bottle worries many mothers who transfer their baby from breastfeeding to artificial or mixed nutrition.
First of all, you need to be patient and choose one of the two main training methods that experts and experienced mothers recommend using.
Try to imitate the process of receiving breast milk that is familiar to your baby.
To do this, take the baby in your arms (as he is used to), and place the pacifier at the height of the mammary glands. Habitual sensations will play a positive role.
In order for the child to take the pacifier into his mouth, it must be applied to the cheek to activate the sucking reflex. The baby will “automatically” open its mouth; all you have to do is insert the silicone tip into it.
To speed up the sucking action, you can squeeze out a little milk formula. Perhaps the baby will like the breast milk substitute and will finally agree to bottle feeding.
Help from loved ones
If the question of how to teach a child to drink formula from a bottle has not been resolved, do not despair. Probably, the child cannot come to terms with the fact that the mother who smells of milk gives a silicone nipple instead of a breast, and that’s why he gets angry.
In this case, you should ask your husband or grandmother for help.
Let them repeat all the steps described above, most likely, the baby will respond favorably to their attempts to feed him from a bottle. Mom just needs to further consolidate the positive result.
In order to transition from breast to bottle without any problems, the mother needs to be patient and take a responsible approach to the child’s acquisition of this skill.
You may need a certain trick. If a baby, accustomed to suckling from the mother's breast, turns away from the bottle with the formula, you need to express your milk into the container.
Moreover, getting to know this useful device must be unobtrusive. First, you can show the bottle to the baby and let him hold it, but it is important to create an understanding that this item is not a toy.
And only then, when the child gets hungry, you should run the silicone tip over the cheek or lips. The activated sucking reflex will “force” the baby to take the pacifier into his mouth.
There is also no need to rush, completely switching the baby to formula in one day. At first, it is better to give food in a bottle no more than twice a day. As soon as the baby gets used to the container, the multiplicity artificial feeding gradually increase.
If the child is categorically against this particular bottle, try offering various options nipple - experiment with shape, material, hole size. This will allow you to select the most optimal silicone tip.
Another important rule, answering the question of how to accustom a child to formula, involves choosing the right time for feeding. The bottle should be offered to a hungry child. But if the baby is too hungry, he will begin to demand exclusively his mother’s breast.
The baby will soon get used to plastic container, if you don’t force him to drink formula or water. If the mother, wanting a speedy result, screams and gets nervous, the baby will begin to be afraid of the bottle and, in the end, will generally refuse to eat from this item.
If the first acquaintance was successful and you need to consolidate the positive result, you should use several useful tips:
- Is your baby fussy when bottle feeding? The mixture may be coming in very slowly. In this case, you can enlarge the hole in the tip, but it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the baby will choke;
- as mentioned above, you should choose the most optimal shape nipples. It is also important to take several of them, as they tend to “fail” at the most inopportune moment;
- the temperature of the silicone tip differs from the temperature of the mother's breast, so the nipple (as well as the bottle) should be slightly warmed up before feeding under the stream warm water. With a pacifier, on the contrary, you need to cool it to soothe the gums;
- It is strictly forbidden to leave a child alone with a bottle, especially if he is under four months old and constantly lies down. In such a situation, the baby may simply choke;
- if the transition to feeding from a plastic container was temporary, you need to give the bottle with the mixture to the child not on your favorite sofa (where it took place) and in a completely different position.
- Of course, you need to remember to take extra care of your feeding equipment. Bottles must be regularly sterilized and washed with a brush, but without cleaning agents.
Thus, properly accustoming a baby to a bottle should take into account all factors: the first meeting, psychological attitude all participants in the process, the shape of the nipple, the temperature of the mixture and other conditions.
If a child doesn't drink enough water, many mothers become concerned. From the moment complementary feeding is introduced, all children must be taught to drink water. After all, water is very useful and necessary for correct height and child development and normal functioning body. But, having tasted sweet breast milk or formula, children refuse to drink a drink without taste, color and smell. So what is the right thing for parents to do in this case? How to teach a child to drink plain water?
Before you teach your child to drink water, you need to find out. However, it is necessary to remember that all children are different - some need to drink a lot of water, others less. If the child feels well, is active, smiles, has regular bowel movements, but drinks little water, then there is no need to force the baby to drink more. But if the child has dry skin and mucous membranes, cracked lips, little saliva, and the baby urinates less than once every 3 hours, then you need to sound the alarm - the child does not have enough water.
It is best to start getting acquainted with water with bottled “baby water”, and not with juices, compotes and sweet water. Having tasted sweet juices or compotes, the child will not want to drink regular water. If your child already drinks juices and sweet compotes, then gradually dilute these drinks with regular water, bringing the sugar concentration in the drink to a minimum.
If there is a tendency to, then the child needs to establish a good drinking regime.
