Should I water my baby? Signs of dehydration while breastfeeding
Breast milk is more than 80% water, especially the first milk that comes with each feed. Therefore, whenever the mother feels her baby is thirsty she can breastfeed him or her. This will satisfy the bay’s thirst, and continue to protect the baby from infections, and help the baby to continue to grow well. Babies do not need water before they are 6 months old, even in a hot climate. This is one of the reasons that WHO recommends for children to be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life.
A child is considered exclusively breastfed when he or she receives only breast milk, without any additional food or liquid, even water, with the exception of oral rehydration solution, drops, syrups of vitamins, minerals or medicines. When breastfeeding, the mother gives her baby all the water he or she needs, while providing “safe water” and protecting the baby against diarrhoea.
However, if the baby is fed formula, it all depends on a thorough assessment of his or her condition. The demand of water is based on estimation of the child’s basic caloric demand and the loss of water from the respiratory tract and skin, gastrointenstinal escape and urinary losses. The most common method of calculating water demand is based on caloric expenditure directly related to the child’s body weight. For an infant weighing less than 10 kg, it is asumed that the basic requirement is 100 ml for each kilogram of body weight. So it’s easily to calculate the daily requirement.
Of course, in deciding if a child should be supplemented with water, we are always guided by assessing his or her functioning. If a child is active, soaks diapers regularly and does not demonstrate any dehydration – no need for additional fluid administration. However, if a child is restless between feeding, there is no reason to overload with additional calories from the so-called extra-feeding. Then it is healthy to get the child used to drinking water. Pay special attention to this on hot days.
Signs and symptoms of dehydration
If your child is mildly dehydrated, they may have:
- dizziness or light-headedness;
- nausea or headaches;
- dark yellow or brown urine (wee) – urine should be pale yellow;
- fewer wet nappies or nappies not as wet as usual; or older children will not go to the toilet as much;
- dry lips, tongue, mouth or throat.
If your child has severe dehydration, they may be:
- extremely thirsty;
- lethargic or less active than usual;
- pale and have sunken eyes, tears may be absent when crying;
- cold – especially their hands or feet;
- breathing faster than usual and have a fast heart rate;
- irritable, drowsy or confused.