When you become a parent, it suddenly becomes clear that giving little newborns water is not recommended. But before then, most of us don’t even realize that we only drink milk, and for very good reason.
The most popular online document Dr. Karan Raj recently used TikTok to defend the practice of not giving water to infants.
It might be dangerous to offer water to a little person before they are six months old, he said in a video that has nearly 900,000 views. “If you own a tiny human, are expecting a delivery of one soon, or [are] even acquainted with one, do not give them water to drink until they are six months old.”
Why then is it so hazardous? He argues that newborn newborns’ kidneys aren’t mature enough to properly filter simple water because they are roughly half or less the size of an adult’s.
He says, “This makes the baby vulnerable to water intoxication.” Hyponatremia, or excessively low sodium levels, is essentially caused by too much water backing up into the bloodstream and diluting the salt concentration in the blood.
According to Dr. Raj, it can result in a variety of problems, including brain enlargement, seizures, and even death.
Why then do grownups not experience this problem? The doctor says that in order to reach this stage, we would need to quickly swallow many liters of water. With a baby, though, it only requires a small amount.
But don’t panic; according to Dr. Raj, breast milk or formula milk can satisfactorily meet babies’ demands for hydration. You might just need to feed them a little bit more frequently if it’s hot outside or if they’re ill.