Can you dilute formula

I know things have changed a lot in the past 50 years but, just wanted to say they all grew up with no ill effects.

Hello Courtney,There may be specific instances when a doctor would recommend water but it should never be given without consulting your pediatrician. Thank you,Justin Smith, M. Never say never.

My Cook Children's network pediatrician recommended that we add a certain amount of water to our baby's formula as she suffered from serious constipation. The water did the trick, and it relieved her suffering. Understood that the primary focus of the article is that parents should not add water for economic or financial reasons, but this article disserves both parents and pediatricians by saying "never. What about toddlers?

Is there a danger with too much water for an 18 month old? We give her about oz of juice with about 8 oz of water. She will drink sippy cups full thru the day.

She also drinks Almond Milk due to milk allergies about 2 sippy cups a day. Her PCP doesn't seem to have any concern about but after reading this article it makes me curious. I know sometimes extreme thirst and frequent urination can be a sign of diabetes -- but since the PCP was not concerned she was not tested. Thank you for stating this! I am in nursing school, and I never really understood the danger of giving water to babies.

I also didn't realize it is something that common. This will help with my patient teaching when I am a nurse! Thank you! With my first child I was unfortunately not with the cooks network, the pediatrician I went to was apparently having a bad day and told me she was borderline obese and I needed to instead of breastfeeding, give her water every other feeding, after calming down I ignored her my child was only a month and a half old and had come out 9lbs 6 oz she's now a bean pole 3 year old.

Thank you for putting this out there. About Checkup Newsroom: Checkup Newsroom showcases even more of the kids health news you search for and expect from our health care system. Contact us: questions checkupnewsroom. Follow us online:. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.

For more information, see Website Privacy. Skip to navigation menu Skip to content. High Priority Alert. Close alert. Informational Alert. Bottle-Feeding Formula Questions. 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.

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. Excessive fluoride can permanently damage tooth buds, causing your child's teeth to be stained brown or black when they emerge. Check bottled water, too, as much of it is treated with fluoride. 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. When you see a baby face with round cheeks that you just want to pinch, that is a good sign. Fatty tissue usually means your baby is thriving and eating well. The absence of fatty tissue is a symptom of failure to thrive, or poor growth.