24
Jul
Water Intoxication In Babies. It can also occur in babies especially those under 9 months old and in children. A baby who is given water under the age of 6 months may be at risk for this condition. Babies can have immature kidneys therefore giving them too much water during their first year particularly in the first nine months can dilute a babys normal sodium levels which can lead to seizures coma brain damage and death. Excessive water consumption may eventually put a baby in a coma or lead to death.
See hyponatremia for some examples. If babies drink too much water or if too much water is added in the formula babies can suffer from water intoxication. When to Give Your Baby Water. Crying changes in behavior vomiting twitching or shaking irregular breathing and in severe cases seizures coma brain damage and death. Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid healthy babies need. This is known as water intoxication or poisoning 11.
What Is Water Intoxication.
Water is considered one of the least toxic chemical compounds with an LD 50 of over 150 mlkg in rats. Providing water to your newborn could result in water intoxication which can dilute the other nutrient levels in the babys body. Too much water causes their kidneys to flush out electrolytes. See hyponatremia for some examples. Keating MD retired medical director of the St. If babies drink too much water or if too much water is added in the formula babies can suffer from water intoxication.