Introducing drinks

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Once your baby has reached six months you can give him small amounts of cooled boiled tap-water or bottled water (pure water, not mineral water), if he likes it.

• From six months you can give your baby small amounts of cooled boiled tap-water in hot weather and if he seems thirsty.
• Babies and infants don’t need fruit juice, or fizzy water, including mineral or soda waters.
• Soft drinks and herbal teas are not good for your baby.
• At 12 months you can give your baby pasteurised whole cow’s milk.
• Reduced-fat milks are not recommended until your baby turns two.
• Rice milk or oat milk are never a replacement for cow's milk, formula or soy formula.

Fruit juice may seem like it would be healthy for your baby but actually it can cause a multitude of problems, from tummy aches to tooth decay. If your baby drinks a lot of juice he may lose interest in the breastmilk or formula that is the crucial source of nutrients (including protein, the ‘building block of growth’).

If you do want to give your baby some juice (say, once he’s turned one), dilute the juice half-and-half with water and really limit the amount you give. Look for pasteurised juice to avoid infections (it will be written on the label), and 100% juice – not a fruit-juice drink, which could be loaded with sugar.

Soft drinks are full of sugar and contain virtually no nutrients, making them unsuitable for infants (and children) as they’re bad for teeth. Mineral waters are high in certain minerals that can stress your baby’s kidneys.

Whole cow’s milk can be introduced when your baby is 12 months old. It contains protein, calcium and other nutrients. Toddlers have high energy needs, so reduced-fat milks are not recommended until your child has turned two. Skim milk, which has no fat at all, is not recommended for children under five.

Soy milk – even with added calcium – doesn't have the nutrients your baby needs, which is why it is not recommended as a replacement for breastmilk or formula.

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