18/07/2022
Warmer days are on the way 🌞
Phil is a consultant paediatrician working in my local Children's hospital, and a good friend of mine.
I asked him some questions about giving water to babies....
Lucy 'Hi Phil, thanks for filling in the gaps for us here.
Is it correct to say that it is NOT recommended to give breastfed babies extra water when they're under 6 months old?'
Phil 'Indeed that's right, it's particularly important as today is going to be much hotter than we're used to and of course every parent is going to be worried about their child getting dehydrated.
However, babies are new to the world and aren't expecting water... just milk, so they aren't designed to handle it and can run the risk of getting a low sodium from their blood essentially being diluted.
And this can be very bad... especially for their little brains.
The lower sodium (salt) levels can mean the brain takes in more water and doesn't work propely and this is as bad as it sounds. This can lead to a very unwell, irritable or abnormally sleepy baby and potentially seizures and worse.'
Lucy 'Thank you. That's pretty scary. Why do you think parents are still being told to give water?'
Phil ' I think mostly it falls back to the 'babies are just small adults' view that is everywhere and so like us when we are thirsty surely they just need more water. But this isn't right. The feeding parent and baby have a really tight relationship and breastmilk responds to both the environment (the heat) and the baby (thirst and demand) and produces the right milk for the baby depending on the circumstances.
And like many I used to think that breasts were like milk bottles storing up milk, but that's not the case, milk is made all the time and it doesn't run out. There's still a serious lack of training about breastfeeding and an inherent mistrust in it too, it needs to change fast. I've done some additional training with the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers because I really wanted to get as much knowledge as I could to support families.
Remember, the feeding parent does need to keep an eye on their fluids, milk making does mean giving your fluids to your baby and that's got to come from somewhere... so feel free to drink lots... whether that's water or squash or a lovely iced tea.'
Lucy 'So what should parents be looking out for?'
Phil 'As ever, the best way to know whether your little one is getting enough is to keep an eye on their nappies... they should still be having 5 to 7 heavy wet nappies a day and a good couple of poos or more'
Lucy 'And what should they do if they have concerns that their little one isn't having enough nappies or other worries?'
Phil ' Well, it's always sensible to seek advice if you are worried. The best trained people for infant feeding support are properly trained and certified lactation consultants but sadly not everyone has access to one of those.
For some, more straightforward, questions the breastfeeding.support website is really helpful as is the national breastfeeding helpline, but you should be able to contact your midwife if you are still under them or your healh visitor or GP if not.
In the UK the 111 service can be helpful and should be able to direct you to the right source of support.
Of course, if your baby appears poorly or you are quite concerned there is always the local emergency department.'
Lucy 'Thanks, Phil. You're a star'
The National Breastfeeding Helpline is available on 0300 100 0212.
