Infant Water Intoxication - Babies and Water Don't Mix
Babies do need extra fluids in hot weather, just like adults do, but plain water is not something that you want to give an infant. Babies get enough water from breast milk or formula, giving an infant additional water to drink causes infant water intoxication by diluting the sodium in babies blood and flushing it out of babies body. That reduces the electrolytes in the babies body, altering brain activity, causing seizures to occur in the otherwise healthy infant.
Though the seizures brought on by infant water intoxication has no lasting effect on the babies, it would indeed be a time of sheer terror for a parent or child care provider. These seizures that occur in an healthy infant brought on by infant water intoxication will stop as soon as the electrolytes are brought back into balance in the infant's body.
Babies under the age of one, or small children that are already dehydrated are more prone to infant water intoxication than any other age groups. Babies easily become dehydrated when suffering through a bout of vomiting or diarrhea, and as parents and grand parents, we want to re-hydrate them fast. We have to remember that babies and water don't mix and not give water to an infant, but rather beverages made especially for re-hydrating an infant , such as Pedialyte.
There are other symptoms of infant water intoxication besides seizures which include: Changes in the mental status of the infant like unusual irritability or drowsiness; facial swelling or puffiness; low body temperature of 97 degrees or less. Other early warning symptoms of infant water intoxication that only a verbal small child could complain of include: headache, fatigue and confusion.
Seizures caused from infant water intoxication are preventable, just don't give your infant additional water and don't add more than the recommended amount of water to infant formula.
If your infant is showing any of the above mentioned infant water intoxication symptoms, or is seizing, take them to the emergency room. Babies and water don't mix.
Source:
http://epilepsy.about.com/od/symptomsandcauses/a/waterandseizure.htm
Published by Georgia Lund
Georgia Lund is part of the ever increasing group known as the Sandwich Generation, being caregiver to an aging parent and young grandchild. Georgia enjoys gardening, has over 30 years of gardening experienc... View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentMy 3month old is wanting to eat more than I am producing (she's breastfed) and we were just giving her small amounts of water to cover the deficite. She started showing signs of water intoxification. THANKFULLY another mom told me about this article. My question is, what SHOULD I feed her? (Her dr is unavailable and the nurse line wasn't any help) I don't want her to stop breastfeeding because of formula, I don't want to mess up her digestive system because of introducing rice cereal too soon, but worse I don't want to listen to her cry because she's hungry. Any suggestions parents and Drs? HELP!!!!
Wow this is interesting. So different from what we were told raising our babies back in the day. Glad to know about your work -- I came over from Charlie's article about you. Congrats!
Congrats on the Most Intriguing Award, which led me to this article. It is very informative. I had never heard of such a thing. I don't have kids, but sometimes baby-sit for family. I will keep this in mind. Thanks!
This is excellent... :o)
I am a foster carer who lives in edinburgh and who looks after babies and toddlers I am presently looking after a 2yr old girl who may possibly suffer from the effects of her mother's drinking while she was still in the womb.She came to live with us in february of this year and one of her biggest problems we have with her is the amount she drinks,from the minute she is awake she is obsessed with getting something to drink and gets very distressed when she is being refused and goes on search for anything she can get her hands on to drink,if she was allowed she would drink every minute of the day.She has had a blood test done for diabetes that came back negative. Health visitor has advised I replace any drinks of juice or milk I give her with water but after reading this article I think I'll just put up with the tantrums and cut back on the amount she drinks. I have noticed that when she drinks a lot she gets a rash around her vaginal area.