Water, milk, juice and soft drinks

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Before your baby has reached six months, breastmilk or formula is the only drink she needs. There is no need to give water – dehydration is extremely rare in breastfed babies, as long as they are allowed free access to the breast, which is what health professionals generally recommend. Talk to your health nurse if you would rather your baby had a routine for breastfeeds or formula feeds instead of feeding on demand.

Milk and water are still the best drinks even after your child has turned one. Water is better than fruit juice as it satisfies thirst but doesn’t contain sugar. Children don’t need extra sugar. If you allow free access to water, especially in hot weather or when your child is running around a lot, your children are much less likely to get dehydrated.

To help your child drink adequate amounts of water:

• have water on the table at meal and snack times
• keep chilled water in a jug in the fridge and add slices of lemon or orange or a sprig of mint
• in summer, freeze small pieces of chopped fruit in ice blocks and add these to water at snack and mealtimes
• try a water filter if your child doesn’t like the taste of your local tap-water
• take filled water bottles when you go out with your child.

For children over 12 months, cow’s milk is an excellent source of nutrients: calcium, protein, riboflavin and vitamin B12. Reduced-fat milk is not recommended for children aged less than two years, and skim milk is not recommended for children under five, as toddlers need fat and the fat-soluble vitamins it contains for their growth. Calcium-fortified soy milk can be used as an alternative to cow’s milk.

Fruit juice can provide valuable nutrients but it has lots of sugar. It’s better to eat the fruit instead. If you do want to give your child an occasional treat of fruit juice, mix it half-and-half with water. Children who drink too much fruit juice can have a poor appetite, diarrhoea, obesity and tooth decay, among other problems.

Like fruit juice, soft drinks and cordial contain lots of sugar. Unlike fruit juice, they have few vitamins or minerals. And cola and other soft drinks can contain caffeine, which may make your child extremely excited, then exhausted.

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