How to avoid dehydration in nursing babies

With high temperatures, the body asks for more fluids, but what happens with nursing babies? Should we give them water to avoid a heat stroke? How can you avoid getting dehydrated in summer? The answer is to breastfeed on demand, and even to offer it without asking. How to know if the baby is dehydr

With high temperatures, the body asks for more fluids, but what happens with nursing babies? Should we give them water to avoid a heat stroke? How can you avoid getting dehydrated in summer? The answer is to breastfeed on demand, and even to offer it without asking.

How to know if the baby is dehydrated

Babies and young children are more prone to dehydration than adults, because 70% of an infant's body weight (from 1 to 24 months) is water, while in us That proportion is 50%. When containing a greater proportion of water they need to take 10-15% of their weight in water each day and we only need 2-4%. To get an idea, it is as if adults needed to drink about 10 liters of water a day.

For this reason, infants can dehydrate dangerously fast, which is why we must be very attentive to possible symptoms. Any of these signs may indicate that your baby is dehydrated or dehydrated:

Do not wet the diaper in a period of six or eight hours.

-The pee is a more intense yellow color and smells stronger.

-You can see that you are without energy or lethargic.

When she cries tears do not come out.

-You have a dry mouth and lips.

With any of these symptoms, it is best to go to the pediatrician to make sure it is okay. If it is a slight dehydration, it is most likely to recommend the intake of more fluids. Here, the age of the baby is important because at this moment is when many doubts arise of the type: when do babies start drinking water?

Breast milk exclusively until 6 months

The World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other prestigious international organizations, recommend that babies exclusively drink breast milk for up to 6 months. When it is composed of 87% water, it is not necessary to give infants water. The child obtains from its mother all the nutrients and mineral salts it needs to protect itself from dehydration.

If on the hottest days of summer, in addition to your usual shots, you notice that your baby demands the breast more often and for a short time it is because at the beginning of each suction the milk is more watery and it is refreshing. The amount of fat in breast milk increases throughout the feeding.

When to introduce water into the baby's diet?

Babies of six months, or even older ones, who continue to breastfeed on demand, do not need to be given water either, even if they have started supplementary feeding. The water in the mother's milk, along with the water in the fruits and vegetables, is sufficient to cover her daily needs. You can start to offer water, little by little and without forcing it, as long as it does not coincide with the intakes so you do not reject the food.

What is totally discouraged at any age, is giving babies baby bottles of water because this practice could lead to temporary malnutrition. The water that the infants need must always be accompanied by nutrients, because otherwise their stomachs would be filled with water and they could refuse to eat.

Susana Torres.Collaborator of Guiainfantil.com and lactation consultant