Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Read More Previous. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? Create Account See Subscription Options. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. You are not a bad parent! Did you put in one scoop or two? This is dangerous and should not be done. Some parents worry their baby may be thirsty, especially in the summer when it is hot.
But just like putting too much water in a formula bottle, giving an infant a bottle with just water can also be dangerous.
Make sure you mix the formula correctly in the future. Winkelmann has some helpful feeding tips to make sure you are correctly and safely mixing formula 7 and feeding your baby:.
There are exceptions to using tap water. If you have untested well water, city water with known recent contamination i. If the price of formula is a hardship, your pediatrician may be able to provide samples free of cost to you. In addition, some formula companies will send you free samples, especially if you've given birth to multiples. Too much water is dangerous for infants, according to ScientificAmerican. Babies don't have the ability to process water out of their bodies until they are at least 10 months old, and too much water can dilute their blood and interfere with their electrolytes, causing sodium and potassium levels to plummet and possibly resulting in brain damage or seizures.
A Florida mother tried to save money by shorting each batch of formula by two scoops, according to a report on ABC News, and her 5-month-old son suffered a seizure, was underweight and almost died because of water intoxication. Baby formula is designed to give babies the exact nutritional building blocks they need to grow and thrive, including protein, fat and carbohydrate as well as vitamins and some minerals.
Changing the concentration of the formula will affect the nutrition your baby receives from it. Baby formula is specifically designed to give your baby the appropriate nutrition for age and weight.
Some formulas are fortified with additional minerals, such as iron, to meet specialized needs of babies. 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.
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