Why is boiled water harmful to a child? Specialized water for a newborn is the key to the baby’s health and good mood. It is necessary to boil baby water

Water is necessary for humans to function normally; without it it is impossible to imagine life on Earth. But, with regards to newborn children, the question of supplementing with water is very acute and there is no clear answer. Is it possible and necessary to give a newborn water, in particular boiled water?

Before dotting all the I’s, it is necessary to understand that the need for additional water supplementation directly depends on the type of nutrition of the infant, on the state of his health and environmental climatic conditions.

Back in 1989, the World Health Organization came to the conclusion that a child who is purely breastfeeding(), until the age of 6 months (before the start of complementary feeding) there is no need to supplement with water. This is easy to explain chemical composition human milk (the numbers are approximate, since the composition of each woman’s milk is different):

• water 87%;
• lactose (milk sugar) 6.5%;
• fat 4%;
• protein 1%;
• vitamins and minerals 1.5%.

As you can see, water is the main component of milk. Nature is designed in such a way that not a single mammal takes its newborn child to water, because by default the baby receives everything it needs and needs from its mother’s milk. Yes, someone will say that we are people, not monkeys, cows, etc. But this does not change the essence; we originated just like other mammals as a result of a long process of evolution.

Human milk is divided into fore and hind milk. Foremilk is thinner, sweeter and leaner. It is white, but with a bluish tint. It is his baby who drinks first, satisfying his drinking needs. Then fatty and nutritious hind milk begins to flow into the baby's stomach, satisfying nutritional needs. Hindmilk is yellowish in color and more concentrated.

By supplementing your baby with water before feeding, you risk not giving the baby enough hind milk, since it will fill the stomach with water and fore milk, which is practically devoid of the nutrients the baby needs for growth and development.

If you are afraid of seeming greedy, your conscience and the looks of mothers and grandmothers gnaw at you because you don’t give infant water, drink from a spoon and after the main breastfeeding.

An infant should be given water on 3 occasions

In general, there are situations when supplementing with water while breastfeeding is necessary:

1. Outdoors or indoors, the temperature and humidity conditions are far from optimal (hot, stuffy, dry air, which means low humidity). In such conditions, the child sweats, the body intensively loses moisture and salts, the mucous membranes dry out, and the process of dehydration slowly begins, which is fatal for the child. The child pees noticeably less often (less than 10-12 times a day). If it is not possible to put the baby to the breast more often, add a little clean, unboiled water (you can even dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 liter of water, the saline solution will replenish the loss of salts by the body).
2. Illness of a child accompanied by high fever, vomiting and diarrhea (for example, rotavirus infection). The baby’s body quickly becomes dehydrated, so breast milk won’t help. It is necessary to connect rehydrating agents (for example, rehydron) or the most accessible rehydration solution at home (3 g table salt+ 18 g sugar + 1 liter of clean water at room temperature).
3. A breastfed baby suffers from constipation or colic. Water with prunes or raisin water will help with constipation, and supplementing with dill water will improve the situation with colic.

Is it possible for a bottle-fed newborn to have water?

For a baby who is artificial or is on mixed feeding Giving water is not only possible, but even necessary. Adapted infant formula contains much more protein compounds, unlike human milk, so the baby needs more liquid to break it down and remove waste products. Very often children artificial feeding suffer from constipation, this main feature lack of water in the body. You need to give your baby some water before formula feeding.

Boiled water is by no means the healthiest thing that can be offered to a newborn baby as a supplement. When boiling water, only part of the bacteria is destroyed, but boiled water is saturated with chloride compounds (including chloroform), which are very harmful to small children. Boiled water is dead; it does not contain the necessary minerals and salts. Certainly visible reasons and there will be no sharp deterioration in the child’s condition, but you have received food for thought!

High-quality and healthy water for feeding children must be purified at the molecular level. As a rule, factories produce such water drinking water, and bottles with children's drinking water must be marked and information that the product has been tested by the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (Russian Academy of Medical Sciences). Drinking bottled water for children differs from bottled water for adults in mineral content. It must be consumed raw, there is no need to boil it.

Requirements for children's drinking water:

• total mineral content no more than 200-300 mg/l;
• calcium not more than 60 mg/l;
• potassium no more than 20 mg/l;
• sodium no more than 20 mg/l;
• magnesium no more than 35 mg/l.

Therefore, when choosing children's drinking water, pay attention to the mineral content so as not to purchase ordinary filtered water, which can easily be made at home. The water from the cooler is also bottled, but it is not intended for feeding children.

You should not let your baby drink tap water, even though it is called drinking water. It is not advisable for an adult to drink it without first passing it through a filter.

You should not give your child water with sugar or even slightly sweeten it before starting vigorous activity (““). This will lead to tooth damage or contribute to the development of thrush in the mouth (““). But an active crawling or running child needs a lot of energy, an easy source of which is sweet water, water with honey, or compote.

You should not give your baby mineral carbonated or still water, since it contains a large amount of minerals, which put unnecessary stress on the still weak kidneys.

Newborn babies should not be given boiled water to drink, as it is saturated with chloride compounds that are harmful to the child’s body.

Question about introducing water into the diet infant will disappear with the introduction of complementary foods (““), but now enjoy infancy and observe the condition of the baby, which will be the starting point to understand whether water is needed small organism or not.

Typically, lactation consultants advise mothers not to supplement their babies with water until 9-12 months, but to feed them only breast milk. There are also opponents of this point of view with their own weighty arguments. But we will not argue on this topic, since we are directly involved in the production of water. Let us only note that if you decide to supplement your child with water, then pediatricians advise doing this after feeding, when he is full. Since we have been producing water for 12 years, we know a lot about its quality and we know how water quality affects health. Imagine such a situation that the mother begins to produce milk only on the third day. In this case, of course, the mother will supplement the baby with water. And she herself will drink water. Everything that enters her body passes on to the baby. Good quality water, except that it breaks down nutrients, carries oxygen to the cells, will activate metabolic processes in the body, give energy to the cells thanks to its macro and microelements. The fact is that the structure of high-quality water is similar to the structure in blood plasma, lymph, and intracellular fluid. And when the body receives such water, the cells do not need to expend additional effort to “absorb” it. That is why such water is completely absorbed by the body and provides energy in itself.

Even to produce milk you need to drink enough good water. After all, it is known that if a mother is poisoned by food, she may eat practically nothing for several days, but it is imperative to drink a lot of water so that the milk does not disappear, this is one, and, secondly, so that water removes harmful substances from the body, this is also a function water! In addition, water helps relieve constipation. And this is very important for mothers after childbirth. To do this, you need to drink a glass of water immediately after waking up, a glass before each meal and half an hour before meals. Water improves intestinal motility and helps the stomach absorb foods. And also the sewage system of our body itself requires a lot of water to remove all the “toxins”.

Formula-fed babies will also need water to dilute the formula and for additional feeding. And of course you need water good quality, not from the tap. Many people boil water and give it to their children. Of course, the child will not die from this. However, how drinking such water will affect your child is unknown.

Disadvantages of boiled water:

1.The quality of tap water in Moscow is quite good, BUT, due to chlorine and its derivative, sodium hypochloride, this water is not suitable for a child. Chlorine itself is very harmful even for an adult. Many scientists abroad (Dr. Palin, Dr. Robin, Dr. Mayer) came to the conclusion that drinking chlorinated water leads to cancer. Our scientists and doctors also talk about this (Irina Kolyadina, doctor at the Clinical Oncology Research Institute, Olga Butakova, general practitioner, R.I. Mikhailova, head of the drinking water laboratory at the Sysin Institute, etc.)

2. Tap water is water from a river with millions of maximum permissible concentrations of substances in water (MPC), including: benzene, acids, phenols, metals, radioactive elements, cyanides. According to GOST (San Pin on tap water No. 2.1.4.1074-01), this is the kind of water we use in apartments. And no home filters will remove all the variety of substances. But chlorine can interact with them, forming the well-known dioxins. This is how our own bacteria that produce interferon are destroyed (suppresses the reproduction of viruses in the cell). In addition, chlorine does not kill some substances: cysts, amoebas, protozoa.

All this is very harmful for the child’s delicate stomach and its microflora. And his health is just developing now. After all, even one of the causes of colic in a child is a lack of enzymes for digesting food. The child is just developing normal bacterial flora.

3. When boiling, the structure of water is destroyed and such water is useless. Good water contains many macro- and microelements, from which our cells build and repair themselves. When boiling, the quantity and quality of these elements are disrupted.

4. If you boil water for your baby in a kettle, then when the water evaporates, salts in the form of scale and lime are deposited on its walls and enter the body when drinking water. Salts accumulate, which leads to various diseases.

But you can boil baby bottled water. There is no chlorine in it. However, the structure will still collapse. Therefore, it is not at all necessary to bring it to a boil (100 degrees). 95 degrees is enough, just like in a cooler. Or even less, since special children's water can be drunk by children from birth. For example, our water “Divo”. You can see the certificate of the Research Institute named after A.N. Sysina for baby water on our website, and we can also send it to you by email. We are sure to send a certificate when ordering water for testing along with analyzes at your request. You can read about how baby water differs from adult water in the materials on our website.

Boiled water (100 degrees) has almost no macro and microelements; it is practically dead water. You can heat the water on the stove without bringing it to a boil, or purchase a cooler. The water in the cooler does not boil. We have excellent models that take up little space: desktop coolers from 1600 to 2700 rubles. A desktop cooler will also be convenient because a child will not be able to reach it and break it for a long time. We only sell new coolers. Any cooler needs to be sanitized at least twice every six months. The better water you use, the less often you will need to disinfect. It has been noticed that our water cooler is treated once every six months to a year. A 19 liter bottle can be stored for 3-6 months. Just don’t put it in the sun, otherwise your water will bloom and the cooler will fail faster. When you place the bottle on the cooler, you must tear off the round film from the neck. If you don't do this, leftover paper will end up in the cooler and get stuck there.

You can also order water on our website. By the way, when you purchase a tabletop cooler, we give you 3 bottles of our “Divo” water, 19.8 liters each!

What water should I use to dilute baby formula?

This question worries many mothers. Let's figure out whether it's worth buying water in a store or whether you can get by with the one that flows from the tap, and whether it requires boiling.

Should I boil baby water for formula?

The answer to this question is clear - water for newborn formula V mandatory requires boiling if this water is from the tap. Boiling tap water allows you to solve the following problems:

• • kill bacteria

• • reduce the concentration of chlorine,

• reduce water hardness.

It is recommended to boil water for about 10 minutes to completely destroy bacteria, but in practice, mothers rarely boil for more than two to three minutes.

Important information! If boiled water sits for a long time, bacteria appear in it again. Also, boiling does not kill the botulism bacillus and the hepatitis A virus.

Boiled water has a drawback - it kills some beneficial substances, so many mothers prefer to buy special bottled water for children.

Manufacturers assure that it is not necessary to boil it, just heat it to a temperature of 37C and dilute the mixture. But as a result of numerous inspections, violations were repeatedly revealed - the quality left much to be desired.

What kind of water to dilute baby formula - tap or store-bought?

If you decide to buy baby water, you should still boil it. This way you will eliminate any dangers that may be in such a product. Roskontrol specialists checked popular brands of baby water and identified a number of violations.

1. Frutonyanya - as a result of analysis, mercury levels were found to be 3 times higher in this water. Also at a temperature of 60C it was detected bad smell. No violations were identified for other indicators.

Cost - about 85 rubles for 5 liters.

2.Hipp - experts found low levels of potassium and fluoride, as well as high concentrations of nitrates, still within normal limits. Despite the high cost, the quality of this product is questionable.

Cost - about 86 rubles for 1.5 liters.

3.Malyshka – a minimum of violations were found in this water, namely a slight excess of calcium and a smaller amount of fluoride compared to the declared values. In general, the product meets safety requirements and does not contain toxic or opportunistic substances.

Cost - about 115 rubles for 5 liters.

4. Agusha - in the water of a famous Russian producer, fluoride is 3.3 times higher less than normal. Buyers also note the hardness - after boiling, a sediment remains. For other indicators - smell, taste, composition, the experts had no complaints.

Cost - about 90 rubles for 5 liters.

Thus, we can conclude that even water bought in a store is not always safe for the baby. And the question is what water to use to prepare baby formula, for many mothers it is still decided in favor of tap, but boiled water.

• • Do not prepare the mixture from boiling water - the water must be cooled to a temperature of 37C or diluted with cool pre-boiled water.

• • If you live outside the city and use water from a well or well, for cooking baby food in this case, it is better to use purchased water.

• • A good alternative is to purchase a filter jug ​​for water purification, for example, from the Barrier company. The company produces children's filters that allow you to obtain a liquid with an optimal composition for a child.

• Water purchased in a store can be stored after opening the package for no more than a day and only in the refrigerator. Buy liquid in glass or polycarbonate packaging (there is a number 7 on the bottom of such a container).

Boiling is one of the most reliable ways milk processing. Thermal disinfection frees the product from harmful bacteria and makes it safe for consumption. Raw (not store-bought) milk must be boiled. Only in this form can it be given to children. The question remains controversial whether it is necessary to boil pasteurized milk for a child and whether it makes sense to deprive the product of useful elements by subjecting it to repeated processing. Let's try to figure it out.

Boiling pasteurized milk for a child - is it necessary?

During pasteurization, everything harmful is destroyed, but along with pathogenic bacteria, the product is deprived of useful elements.

Adults can drink an unboiled drink without fear; as for children, there is no need to rush. There are several compelling arguments in favor of reprocessing:

• Pasteurized milk is packaged in airtight containers that prevent the penetration of harmful microorganisms, but it is recommended to consume the product immediately after opening. Buying healthy drink, no one knows how well the heat treatment was carried out. If you plan to store it for a long time, it is better to boil it and keep it in the refrigerator.
• The end result of pasteurization is unpredictable. Much depends on how and under what conditions the product was stored before processing. Violations are observed very often; if you are not sure about the quality and freshness, it is better not to take risks.
• Not all animals are healthy; many suffer infectious diseases. During pasteurization, pathogenic organisms are destroyed, but their spores remain alive. In a favorable environment, they begin to reproduce again.

Milk is a mixture of beneficial elements. It contains everything that is needed for the development and growth of babies: vitamins, microelements, fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The pasteurized product is safe as complementary food during breastfeeding, but it is better not to give it to children under 2 years of age.

If for some reason the mother is unable to breastfeed, best option meals up to 1 year – special adapted mixtures. It is possible to supplement the first feeding of an infant with a pasteurized drink, but only after additional heat treatment and not earlier than 9–11 months. The new product is introduced gradually and must be boiled, since at this age the digestive system is very weak and vulnerable.

When processing at home, do not boil for a long time and at high temperature. Cool the milk immediately and do not leave it in an open container. Heating several times is not recommended.

UHT milk in baby food

Ultra-pasteurized products do not need to be boiled. All necessary disinfection processes include modern processing technology. Bacteria and their spores are completely destroyed, beneficial properties are saved. The highest grade raw materials are subjected to ultra-pasteurization, so there is no doubt about its quality. When choosing UHT milk for your child, do not waste time on additional processing. You can heat it up, but it is not necessary to bring it to a boil. As for age restrictions, they only apply to children under 1 year old.

Conclusions

Better breast milk nothing has been invented; formula and store-bought dairy products cannot replace it. In cases where natural feeding impossible and you have to choose; you can give pasteurized milk. Children under 3 years of age are advised to boil the drink. An ultra-pasteurized product does not require additional heat treatment.

Visit our section with tips for parents, where we have prepared a lot of similar information.