What happens if you give a baby watered down formula?

You might be tempted to eke out more servings, but diluting formula is dangerous. It takes away important nutrients your baby needs and can lead to slower growth and development. It can also lead to water intoxication, which can cause seizures.

Is watering down formula safe?

Watering Down Formula is Dangerous! This can lead to a dangerous condition called water intoxication. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants to remind parents to avoid these practices. Babies do not need water in addition to formula.

Why is giving water to a baby bad?

“Water is not recommended for infants under six months old because even small amounts will fill up their tiny bellies and can interfere with their body’s ability to absorb the nutrients in breast milk or formula,” Malkoff-Cohen said.

What happens if I accidentally put an extra scoop of formula?

A little, tiny bit of extra formula is probably not a huge deal… after all, it’s just more nutrition and calories. But if there’s so much dry formula in the mixture that the baby isn’t getting enough water, constipation and/or dehydration can set in.

Why can diluted formula cause seizures?

Too much water dilutes sodium in the blood and flushes it out of the body, thus altering brain activity, which can lead to a seizure.

Do formula fed babies need water?

Fully breastfed babies don’t need any water until they’ve started eating solid foods. Formula-fed babies may need some extra water in hot weather. Bottled water isn’t recommended for making up infant formula feeds as it may contain too much salt (sodium) or sulphate.

Can I water down baby formula at night?

Night Weaning for Bottle-fed Babies Etc. -OR- Dilute the formula by reducing the amount of formula in the bottle by 1 scoop but leave the amount of water the same. So instead of 8 oz of water with 4 scoops of formula you would offer 8 oz of water with 3 scoops of formula. No more bottles at that time of night.

Can babies get water intoxication from formula?

Water intoxication may occur in either breastfed or formula-fed infants. Water intoxication may be caused by adding too much water to your baby’s formula, by force feeding water to your baby or by substituting water for either breast milk or infant formula.

Do you need water for baby formula?

You can use any type of clean water — tap or bottled — to prepare liquid-concentrate or powdered formula. If you’re concerned about the purity of your water supply, talk to your baby’s doctor or your water provider. Many public water systems will test drinking water upon request.

Should you water down baby formula to make it last longer?

Baby formula is expensive, and a hungry baby can gobble up 30 or more ounces per day, costing parents as much as $3,000 per year, or more if their baby needs specialized formula. As a parent on a tight budget, you may be tempted to water down the formula to make it last longer, but that practice can be very harmful for your baby.

What happens if you dilute baby formula?

Some formulas are fortified with additional minerals, such as iron, to meet specialized needs of babies. Diluting baby formula means you’re also diluting the iron your baby needs, potentially causing anemia. Babies are sensitive to the fluoride that exists in tap water, reports the Fluoride Action Network.

What are the dangers of too much sodium in baby formula?

Some treated tap water has high levels of sodium. A study cited at Doctor’s Guide Channels showed that babies developed hypertension when given too much sodium-infused water when formula was prepared according to the manufacturer’s directions. Overdiluting formula can cause sodium levels to increase even more.

Is fluoride in baby formula bad for Your Baby?

Babies are sensitive to the fluoride that exists in tap water, reports the Fluoride Action Network. If you dilute your baby’s formula with water that has been treated with fluoride — as most public water sources are — you risk a fluoride overdose for your child.