How much water to give a child a year. Children's diet: how much water is needed for health. What to Consider

Water in the child's body performs vital functions. Firstly, thanks to the liquid, body temperature is regulated, which is very important for the proper functioning of all systems and organs. Water delivers valuable substances to the body as intended.

We must not forget about the work of the digestive tract. The body takes fluid from the intestines if it is supplied in insufficient quantities with food and drink. With a lack of fluid in children, constipation appears, anxiety increases, concentration of attention decreases. Today we will talk about how much liquid a child should drink at different ages, and what to do if the baby refuses to drink.

How much should a child drink?

There are norms for fluid intake according to age, but they can be adjusted according to the situation. For example, the need of a child's body for water increases if the child is sick and has a fever.

So, how much water should a child drink depending on age:

up to one year - about 120 ml;
up to 3 years - not less than 150 ml;
over 3 years - 200 ml.

If the baby eats on demand, he does not experience a lack of fluid. Babies who are not receiving complementary foods do not need to be supplemented. If the baby is sick or weak, he will certainly be willing to take the breast as often as possible.

Giving babies clean water makes sense only in extreme heat, when mother's milk cannot fully satisfy the baby's body's need for liquid.

With artificial feeding, you can not supplement the baby only if you strictly follow the instructions for diluting the mixture. You can not use less water than it is written in the instructions, otherwise the child will receive an insufficient amount of liquid. When replacing one of the feedings with complementary foods, you need to give the baby a drink. When discussing the question of how much to drink to a child, it must be said that it is advisable to offer him plain water, it is healthier than sugary drinks, and besides, it perfectly compensates for the lack of liquid. Sugary drinks put a strain on the digestive tract and kidneys.

How much a child should drink can be determined by the color of the urine. Normally, it is colorless, transparent or with a pale yellowish tinge.

How much should a child drink at 1-3 years old?

A baby at this age may refuse any drink or food. A one-year-old child does not feel thirsty well or does not attach importance to his own feelings. Mom should know how much fluid a child should drink, because its lack can lead to increased fatigue. It is necessary to periodically offer the child a drink, remind him of it. It is advisable to buy a beautiful drinking bowl or a bottle and take it with you everywhere.

Don't ask your baby to drink a lot. When asked how much to drink for a child, many pediatricians answer that it is better little by little and often, and plain water is desirable. It is undesirable to teach a child to eat the first and second for lunch, drinking tea. Do not worry that a glass of water will make your baby lose his appetite. Invite him to drink water before eating, and about one hour after eating, offer to drink again.

If your child refuses to drink, you can try the following:

"Harmful" drinks and foods attract the child with bright packaging. Buy baby water in a brightly colored bottle.
Many babies enjoy drinking drinks through a straw. You can buy a beautiful glass with a straw for your baby.
Some children are more willing to drink water if it has some taste. Mix in a 1:1 ratio of water and freshly squeezed juice.

How much should children drink when they are sick?

A child needs more fluids when they are sick. Babies should be more often applied to the chest, and older children should be provided with drinking.

With nausea and high fever, children are more likely to drink acidified water. When controlling how much water a child should drink during an illness, it must be remembered that dehydration should not be allowed. The drug Regidron (saline solution, which compensates for the loss of salts and fluids) will help. If the baby has vomited or is weak, offer him water acidified with lemon juice.

According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, breastfed babies should not be supplemented with water until 6 months of age. They get the required amount of liquid from mother's milk. Children growing on artificial ones are recommended to give 20-30 ml of water between feedings. As the child grows, the amount of fluid needed also increases.

How much fluid should a child drink

The main criterion for determining the amount of fluid is the desire of the child. If he drinks reluctantly, you should not force him to do it. At the same time, if he greedily drinks the offered water, do not take away the bottle when he drinks more than the norm.

The first six months the child needs 100-180 ml of liquid per day. If the baby is bottle-fed, offer him 20-30 ml of water between feedings. Breast milk is 85% water, so don't force feed your baby if he resists.

From six months to a year, the required amount of fluid increases to 260 ml per day. After that, 300-400 ml of fluid per day is required. At the age of four years, this figure doubles and is 800 ml. And a child from four to seven years old should drink about a liter of water per day.

If the child is sick, the amount of fluid can be increased, this will help to quickly remove the infection from the body.

When to Supplement a Child

With artificial feeding, the child needs more water than. In the children's body, a greater number of end products are formed, for the removal of which water is needed.

If the temperature of the air or indoors is above 25 degrees, it is recommended to supplement the child between feedings.

Water is necessary for the baby in case of dehydration due to intestinal disorders or fever. You can identify dehydration by the following signs: rare urination, dry lips, wrinkling of the skin, drowsiness, pale arms and legs.

What to drink a child

If the baby is healthy, juices, fruit drinks or clean water are suitable as a drink. It is better if it is special children's water, it contains the minerals needed by the child. The shelf life of an open bottle is 2 hours at room temperature or a day in the refrigerator.

In case of any health problems, the doctor may prescribe herbal teas. Chamomile helps with bloating, dill water - with

Text: Anna Nikitina, consultant - Oksana Petrova, pediatrician of the Family Doctor clinic network

Water in the body performs many vital functions. Thanks to water, children regulate their body temperature (for example, they sweat if they are overheated) - this is important for the normal functioning of all organs and systems. With urine, “waste products” are excreted from the body. It is also a very important function that ensures the normal functioning of the whole organism, especially when babies are fighting illness.

Water also helps deliver nutrients to their intended destination. If it is not enough, metabolism cannot occur naturally.
Do not forget about the work of the gastrointestinal tract. Lack of fluid causes constipation in a child. The body tends to take up fluid in the intestines if not enough is supplied with food and drink.
If there is not enough fluid, children may have reduced concentration, increased anxiety, etc.
There are age norms for fluid intake, but they should be adjusted taking into account the specific situation: the need for fluid increases if the baby is unhealthy, if he has a fever, if he is weakened, if he is generally very active.

How much should a baby drink at 0-6 months

The baby willingly takes the breast, and if he is fed on demand, he does not experience a lack of fluid. It is not necessary to supplement babies who do not receive complementary foods. If the crumb weakens or he is sick, he himself will probably ask for breasts as often as possible.

It makes sense to supplement babies only in extreme conditions: it is very hot, the child is very weak, and breast milk cannot fully satisfy his fluid needs.
A formula-fed baby does not need to be supplemented unless you strictly follow the formula dilution instructions. If you're trying to make your milk replacer "fuller" by using less water, you risk not getting enough liquid for your baby.
When you begin to replace one of the feedings with complementary foods, you can give the crumbs a drink. Offer plain water, it is healthier than juices and effectively compensates for fluid loss.

How much should a child drink at 7-12 months

Doctors recommend giving your baby plain water and not introducing sugary drinks ahead of time. Sugary drinks do not provide the body with the fluid it needs so well and at the same time put additional stress on the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.
A significant part of the food a child receives is mashed potatoes, which also contain liquid. However, do not forget that protein foods require a lot of fluid to prevent constipation. Do not overload the baby's diet with cottage cheese and meat, strictly follow the doctor's recommendations in this matter.
Whether the baby is drinking enough can be judged by the color of the urine. Normal urine is clear, colorless or with a slight yellowish tint.

How much should a child drink at 1-3 years old

The kid is quite active, shows will and can refuse any food or drink. What is worth remembering?
Children do not feel thirsty or do not attach importance to their feelings. Lack of fluid can lead to increased fatigue and irritability, and parents mistakenly believe that the cause of children's tantrums was too active games or new experiences. Offer the baby a drink, remind him of it. Get a nice bottle or drinker and always take it with you. Would you like to take a sip of water? Offer the child too, preferably once an hour.
Don't ask your child to drink a lot. Better often and little by little. And let it be plain water. You do not need to teach your baby to eat lunch from the first and second and drink tea. It is not worth worrying that a child will kill his appetite by drinking. Offer him water before meals, do not insist on a drink if he ate a light soup. And an hour after dinner, offer to drink.

If your baby is stubbornly refusing water, try the following:

Often in “harmful” drinks and foods, a child is psychologically attracted by bright packaging. Buy small bottles of clean water for your kids and give them a reputation for being a treat. You can customize the packaging yourself!
Many children willingly drink liquid through a straw. Buy your baby a special beautiful glass with a straw.
Some children are more willing to drink a drink that has a taste. Mix one to one water with freshly squeezed juice, which relies on the child's age.
Do not give your child caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, soda) until the age of three.

How much should a child drink at 3-6 years old

For preschoolers, the principle of fluid intake remains the same, but the volume increases. You can diversify drinks with natural lemonades and mixtures of freshly squeezed juice with water.

Many children at this time begin to attend sports sections. Encourage your child to take water with them to training. If a child experiences mental stress during intellectual activities, he also needs more fluid than normal. Offer your child a sip of water before class, a bottle to take, and a sip after class. The normal fluid content will help you to be collected and concentrate on the lesson.

How much should a child drink when sick

! Sick children need more fluids.
baby often apply to the chest, and older children ensure fluid intake. With fever or nausea, babies drink acidified water better. Learn how to make various lemonades with minimal sugar content.

In case of poisoning, it is very important to prevent dehydration. A solution of rehydron (a special saline solution that replenishes the loss of fluid and salts necessary for normal metabolism) will help - it can be given to babies from birth. If the child is weak or has vomited, offer him more plain or lemon-sour water. If there were several episodes of vomiting, and diarrhea is profuse and frequent, give the baby rehydron.

From the very first days of your baby's life, you really want to give him the best, provide proper care, nutrition, so that the baby grows up healthy and happy.

That is why every day you have a lot of questions related to the baby. One of the most important questions in baby care is the question:

As you know, how many experts, so many opinions! How can mom make the right choice?

Let's try together to understand the approaches that exist to this issue, and draw conclusions.

Should you give your child water?

It is definitely impossible to answer this question. It depends on at least two aspects:

the state of health of the child;
what kind of feeding the child receives: artificial or breastfeeding.

Immediately it is necessary to dwell on the issue of the state of health of the child. If the baby is sick with something, then only a pediatrician who observes your baby and knows the whole history of his illness can decide whether or not to drink the child.

As for the supplementation of healthy children, it is worth talking separately about those children who are breastfed and those who receive food in the form of a mixture .

Breastfed babies

To date, there are at least three approaches to the drinking regimen of breastfed babies:

1. Do not give your baby water until 6 months of age

The World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend supplementing children who are on before 6 months of age. It is believed that for such a small baby, mother's milk is food and drink, it can satisfy hunger and thirst.

If your baby is starting to worry but you know what he has eaten recently, he may be thirsty. Put him to the breast for a few minutes, he will drink and calm down, foremilk is almost 90% water.

: “It doesn’t matter what season it is, up to 6 months the baby should be fed exclusively with breast milk. Because we know that breast milk contains 90% water, which is purified by the female body, which is 100% safe. For the first six months, the protective functions of the child’s body are reduced, so any addition of liquid from the outside is a danger of the child’s illness, since we cannot be sure of the quality of the water.”

Mom Lisa shared her story:“My son is breastfeeding, I didn’t want water at all until 6 months, I offered, spits, starts crying. He started eating complementary foods, started drinking water, but he doesn’t like it very much, he likes compote much more. it’s worth trying to give some water, what if he needs it, he can’t say, but mom and doctors are not telepaths, they won’t be able to guess either, so it’s better to offer.

2. Offer some water

If you are very worried about supplementation and cannot decide even after consulting with a pediatrician whether it is worth drinking, just try to offer your child water, but with some reservations:

do not offer water before meals - a hungry baby will suck everything you give him, but neither the baby nor you will benefit from this. The baby's stomach will fill with water, and the baby will be able to drink less milk than he could drink without supplementation. Because of this, your lactation may decrease, because the breast works on the principle of supply and demand, and if the child sucks less, then less is produced.
offer very little water, first from a spoon, then from a non-spill cup;
use only quality water intended for children.

Ksenia Solovey, breastfeeding consultant, certified specialist of the Educational and Methodological Center for Breastfeeding Support of KMAPE named after. P.L. Shupika, psychologist, organizer and head of the Milk Rivers Center in Kyiv : “Studies have been carried out on giving water to children. They were carried out in a very hot climate, when our European women were placed in Africa. There were 3 groups of women: exclusively breastfeeding, without drinking water, breastfeeding, but giving water, feeding children with artificial nutrition and giving water. According to the results, the best indicators were in children who were fed exclusively with breast milk without additional drinking water.