Newborns

is giving sugar water to newborn while breast milk lets down, with is a custom of india tradition harmful to newborns?

[stacey10]

while it maybe a tradition in india you would be hard pressed to find anyone from a medical/pediatrican/breastfeeding position that would reccomend this or advise it, nope, no-way

[Lesley27]

i wouldnt do it just because babies are very sensitive to how much water they can handle... too much is dangerous and actually its not reccomended to give any at that age and the sugar isnt a good thing either.. i would just stick to the breast milk...

[NicoleW09]

I read in the book that my daughter's pediatrician gave me that giving your infant/newborn too much water can cause febrile seizures. I didn't start giving my daughter water until she was a few months old, and then it was only a few sips. Breastmilk stimulates babies to have bowel movements, and sugar water on top of it might be enough to make your baby have diarrhea. I'd stick to breastmilk only.

[Lesley27]

Water can interfere with a young baby's ability to absorb the nutrients in breast milk or formula and, because it can make her feel full, it may prevent her from feeding as much as she should.

Giving water to an infant can also cause water intoxication, a serious condition that happens when too much water dilutes the concentration of sodium in the body, upsetting the electrolyte balance and causing tissues to swell. It's uncommon but serious, potentially causing seizures and even a coma.

[NicoleW09]

I couldn't remember what exactly caused the seizures, I just knew that too much water could cause it to happen. It is uncommon for it to happen, but I was really paranoid about it and opted to not give her water for a while. Plus a newborn's stomach is so small that an ounce or two of water will fill them up and then they won't want their breastmilk or formula, which is the main source of nutrition.