Which water to choose for baby's bottle?

2023-03-14 19:13:03

A baby needs proportionately more water than an adult. But not just any water! For your bottle, you should favor water with a low mineral content and a moderate salt content, as explained by Alain Bocquet, pediatrician and head of the Nutrition Group of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA).

Which water to choose for baby's bottle?

What water to use for the preparation of baby bottles baby? From birth, low mineral water should be used . And for good reason : ' Babies' kidneys are immature. If they drink water that is too rich in mineral salts, they get tired' , explains Dr. Alain Bocquet. So, which brand of water to choose? Which water to favor in case of constipation or colic? Can we use tap water? The answers of Dr Alain Bocquet, pediatrician, head of the 'Nutrition Group' of the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA) and the advice site for parents: mpedia.fr

'Babies' kidneys are immature. If they drink water that is too rich in mineral salts, they get tired.'

Mineral water or spring water for the baby bottle?

You can use spring water or mineral water to prepare baby's bottle. Natural mineral waters come from underground springs preserved from any human pollution and do not undergo any disinfection treatment. Their quality and composition are stable over time and they are closely monitored to avoid contamination.

Spring waters are also waters of underground origin but the stability of their mineral composition is not guaranteed over time.

Can tap water be used for babies?

According to ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety), tap water can be used to prepare baby bottles, provided the following recommendations are followed:

Let the tap water run for a few seconds
Use only cold water
Regularly clean the faucet head
Do not use water that has undergone filtration or softening
Ensure the absence of lead in the water pipes which may still be lead in old homes
Find out about the quality from the town hall or the Departmental Directorate for the Protection of Populations in the department to find out if it is possible to use the water to prepare baby bottles.

' On the other hand, in so-called drinking water, we do not know how to detect or dose hormones and antibiotics. However, they pass into wastewater and can end up in tap water. Faced with these many conditions to be respected, isn't it better to use bottled waters? Tap water is still a good solution, but for older children “, explains Dr. Bocquet who adds that it is also necessary to avoid using water from private wells because their quality is not monitored.

'Tap water remains a good solution, but for older children'.

What is the best water for baby's bottle?

Start by looking for the mention: 'Suitable for feeding the infant ' which is reserved for bottled waters that meet the quality criteria defined by the regulations. Next, look at the water bottle labels. ' The first instinct is to check the dry residue at 180°C on the water label. This is the amount of minerals present in the water. Water is considered low mineralized when the dry residue is less than 500 milligrams per liter ', explains Dr. Bocquet.
Here are examples of the dry residue at 180°C of these waters:

Mont Roucous: 22 mg/l
Montcalm : 32 mg/l
Volvic : 130 mg/l
Wattwiller: 155 mg/l
Evian: 309 mg/l
Thonon: 342 mg/l
Mont Blanc: 134 mg/l

' You can also watch the amount of sodium which must be less than 20 mg/litre ', specifies Dr. Bocquet. Mont Blanc water thus contains 1.6 mg/litre, Montcalm water 2.2 mg, Mont Roucous water 3 mg, Wattwiller water 3 mg, Thonon water 6 mg, Evian water 6.5 mg and Volvic water 9 mg.

Which mineral water for colic?

As confirmed by Dr. Bocquet, there is no scientific study demonstrating the beneficial effect of one mineral water compared to another in case of infant colic . You can once again choose water with low mineral content and low sodium content.

Does Evian water constipate babies?

Many mothers feel that they should not prepare a bottle with Evian water if their baby is constipated. However, this assertion is not based on any scientific basis. ' It is a received idea and we do not know how it spread. Scientific studies have never shown that Evian water causes constipation. ' , explains Dr. Bocquet.

What water for constipation in babies?

It is Hepar water that is indicated in case of constipation. ' Hepar is known to be a laxative, perhaps due to its minerality and magnesium composition' , confirms Dr. Bocquet.

Can Hepar be given if baby is constipated?

It is actually recommended by specialists. If small quantities of Hépar associated with another weakly mineralized water were advised in the past, it is not any more the case from now on. In case of constipation that lasts several days, ' it seems preferable to give a full bottle a day to have a flushing effect. With only one bottle per day, the mineral load is not a problem and as soon as the situation improves, the Hepar must be limited' advises the specialist.

In older children, it is rather necessary to act on the contribution of plants because of their fiber composition ', explains Dr. Bocquet, who also emphasizes that it is necessary increase baby's water intake if constipated . ' Between each bottle of milk, he must offer a bottle of water . If the baby refuses the water, it does not mean that he does not like the water, only that he does not need it at this time. Finally, nothing should be added to the bottle to give it a sweet taste: the baby would drink it for greed and not for thirst.

Should I use water at room temperature for baby's bottle?

Midwives and doctors recommend using water at room temperature to prepare baby bottles, in particular for practical reasons. A false good idea according to Dr. Bocquet. ' The temperature of breast milk is 37 degrees and it was found that babies who drank warm bottles digested better and suffered less regurgitation '.

In summer, it is not a problem to prepare a bottle with water at room temperature but, in winter, rather offer baby a bottle prepared with warmed water beforehand. ' In cold regions, if you leave a bottle in the kitchen, it can be 16 degrees in the morning. But it's not good for a baby to drink a bottle of cold milk. ', explains Dr. Bocquet who advises to use a bottle warmer. Inexpensive, bottle warmers are easy to use and provide lukewarm water, around 35 degrees.

'The temperature of breast milk is 37 degrees and we realized that babies who drank lukewarm bottles digested better and suffered less regurgitation'.

Why should you avoid heating a baby bottle in the microwave?

It's necessary avoid using a microwave to warm baby's bottle because the poor distribution of heat in the liquid can cause mouth and throat burns in the baby. ' On the other hand, if you put a bottle of milk containing probiotics in the microwave, they are killed by the heat. The fragile vitamins like C which are sometimes present in infant milks are also totally or partially destroyed by the microwave “, emphasizes Dr. Bocquet.