Infants & children are at greater risk for dehydration because of their age. You should ensure that your baby is having enough fluids each day. Some of the fluids you can introduce to your child are listed below.
Water
Offer room temperature water during the day and more often when the weather is hot or your child is very active.
Ensure that the water is well treated by boiling or filtering. Try and avoid bottled water as some of this water may have very high mineral content that may be too much for your baby’s system.
Give your baby no more than 40 ml of water at one time and no more than 125 ml of water a day. Too much water will fill your baby up and take up space for milk.
Juice
– Too much juice leaves less room for healthy food choices. It can also cause tooth decay. Limit 100% juice to 1 cup a day if at all.
– Avoid sweetened beverages.
– Infants do not need sugary fruit punches, drinks, beverages, cocktails or soft drinks. These take the place of healthier foods, may cause tooth decay and do not help children grow well.
Milk and Dairy Products
Breastmilk continues to be the main food for the baby hence the name ‘complementary feeding’; the solids just complement the breast milk. If you are unable to sustain sufficient breastmilk after 6 months, then you can introduce infant formula which is Iron-fortified to meet your baby’s dairy needs. You can also introduce yoghurt, cheese and sour milk (mala) at this point. Your baby should take an average of 500ml of milk and milk products per day once they start complementary feeds.
Why not Cow’s Milk?
• Bleeding from the intestines during infancy: The intestines of some babies may bleed if they drink cow’s milk during their first year of life. This slow leakage of blood from the lining of the intestine can cause iron-deficiency anaemia.
• Food allergies: About 2% of children are allergic to the protein in cow’s milk. When they eat or drink milk products, they may develop hives, diarrhoea, wheezing, or other allergic symptoms. These children need to avoid cow’s milk products.
• Lactose intolerance: Lactose is the sugar found in milk. Some children and even many adults have a condition called lactose intolerance and have bloating and diarrhoea when they eat or drink milk products.
• Infants fed on whole cow’s milk don’t get enough vitamin E, iron, and essential fatty acids.
• Whole cow’s milk protein and fat are more difficult for an infant to digest and absorb.
Why are Yogurt and Cheese OK for Baby Before Age 1 Year Old?
• Unlike Whole Cow Milk beverage, your baby is not at risk of formula/breast milk being replaced by Yogurt or Cheese.
• Lactose is broken down with the culturing of the yoghurt or cheese and milk proteins are either semi-removed or limited. The culturing makes yoghurt and cheese easier for your baby to digest. Many people with lactose intolerance often are able to eat cheese and/or yoghurt without any problem.
• These help to introduce healthy bacteria to your baby’s gut since it is fermented milk and a natural source of probiotics, helping to maintain a healthy gut and immune system.
