Can Babies Drink Filtered Water

Exposure to fluoride during infancy helps prevent tooth decay.

Can babies drink filtered water. In some cases highly filtered water may be called purified water which is legally required to contain less than 10 parts per million of contaminants. And once you ve prepared your baby s bottle throw away any formula they have not finished within one hour of serving. Once your baby starts eating solid foods you will be able to give him small amounts of water after meals. Filtered water can be relied upon to prepare baby formula being just as safe as bottled water.

You can give your baby either tap or filtered water to drink either is fine as long as you re sure your tap water is safe and not contaminated of course. After his first birthday when your baby s eating solids and drinking whole milk you can let him drink as much water as he likes. It is best to use filtered water using a filter that removes fluoride lead and nitrates when mixing you babies formula in order to ensure that the mixture is clean and safe. Micron filtration filters water through microscopic holes which remove more contaminants than standard filters can.

Why it s unsafe to give water to babies 6 months and younger. Giving a baby younger than 6 months old too much water can interfere with his body s ability to absorb the nutrients in breast milk or formula. In fact a belly full of water might curb baby s appetite for milk which could compromise your child s nutrition. However regularly mixing powdered or liquid concentrate infant formula with fluoridated water might increase your child s risk of developing faint white lines or streaks on the teeth fluorosis if these kinds of formula are your child s main source of food.

On the go use bottled or distilled water. You ll still need to boil filtered water before using it as a drink for your formula fed baby before he s six months old or to make formula milk. When it comes to infants the answer is they shouldn t. You can give filtered water to your baby to keep him hydrated with clean and healthy water.

As long as baby s diet consists exclusively of breast milk or formula an infant doesn t need any water to stay healthy and hydrated early on. Visit ewg s water filter buying guide to find the best filter for your needs. What chemicals and contaminants in tap water can affect my child. Store prepared formula for up to 24 hours then discard.

You can use a water filter if you want but make sure you follow the filter manufacturer s instructions. Avoid empty calories just because your baby s old enough to safely drink water doesn t mean you re cleared to give them any beverage their heart desires. A good micron filter will remove most chemical contaminants and microbes.