Health

Adding Water to Baby Formula Could Be Deadly

by Mary Richard | December 13, 2008 at 07:38 pm

1454 views | 47 Recommendations | 10 comments

During these tough economic times, many moms may be thinking of stretching their baby formula with extra water. But, believe it or not, this can be toxic to a baby's tiny kidneys.

Many moms, especially in an era of hard times where every penny counts, are tempted to dilute a child's formula with water, hoping to make it last longer.

It can be a disastrous decision because the kidneys of tiny infants aren't fully developed and the liquid can accumulate in their bodies leading to something called water intoxication. "What's different about a baby, is first of all the kidneys are not that well developed," notes Dr. Jeremy Friedman.

Too much water in the body of babies under 10 months of age can dilute their blood and cause their sodium and potassium levels to fall drastically. In the worst case scenarios, that can lead to brain swelling and even death. "And the dangerous part is if the brain gets swollen the next step would be actually a seizure or convulsions. Be very careful about following the direction on the can," he adds.

Find the symptoms and water content of various baby foods here.

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apple_jamz

at 20:22 on December 13th, 2008

I don't understand why a mom would do this anyway - health has to come first!

Mary Richard

at 00:41 on December 14th, 2008

I can. It's easy, when you've got about 10 scoops left and no money till the end of the month. Lots of people live pretty well day-to-day, especially younger, single moms.

Miriam Mannak

at 07:02 on December 14th, 2008

I agree too - with the economic meltdown and people losing their jobs, homes, cars, and what ever else - I certainly understand why mothers would do that. Lets not forget that formula is flippin' expensive.

Amy Judd

at 21:14 on December 13th, 2008

Good information to know!

Mary Richard

at 00:44 on December 14th, 2008

I can honestly say, three kids later, that this was never told to me before. Lucky me, that I only used formula as a backup.

anarkissed

at 23:20 on December 13th, 2008

Breast milk is free.

Mary Richard

at 00:36 on December 14th, 2008

And convenient, and the right temperature, and hypo-allergetic, and already immunized, etc.... http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_more.html , but that's another post. Some women won't or can't breastfeed long enough for it to be beneficial.

Miriam Mannak

at 07:05 on December 14th, 2008

Yes, breast milk is free. But some women do not produce enough to feed their children. Others cannot produce at all, either due to natural causes or when they have for instance had breats augmentation or reduction. Then there is HIV - which is transmittable through breast feeding. The chances are not incredibly high, especially when you are on anti retroviral treatment, but still ...

gerrypopplestone

at 18:02 on December 14th, 2008

But dont mothers already know that breast feeding is best?

mummy b (not verified)

at 09:23 on December 15th, 2008

Innocently, I assure yu, and not because of financial reasons, but we have been adding or diluting with water to compensate for our baby not wanting to drink plain water.