What is the best baby water for newborns? Criteria for choosing drinking water for your baby. Tips for parents. How to choose water for your child

Modern parents know that adult water is not suitable for a child. True, some of them do not take this statement seriously, considering it a marketing ploy. In fact, the composition of children's water is different from adult water. Considering that it is healthier, some parents not only give it to their children, but also use it themselves. How to choose the right water for a child and what should you pay attention to when purchasing?

Types of baby water

If baby water is produced by manufacturers in accordance with all standards and regulations, the result will be a high-quality product.

There are two types of baby water:

drinking - has a precisely balanced composition, therefore it is not used for preparing cereals and infant formula (if the balance is disturbed by additional substances, the level of beneficial properties will be reduced);
for the preparation of infant formula - it contains a smaller amount of minerals and trace elements.

Drinking baby water should contain 200−300 mg/l of minerals, and that used for preparing baby food should contain from 67 to 107 mg/l.

How to choose baby water: norms and standards

When purchasing, you need to pay attention to every little detail so as not to make a mistake with your choice. It is important to carefully familiarize yourself with the composition of baby water, the container used for bottling, labeling and cost. These are the main characteristics by which the quality of the product can be judged.

Composition of baby water

Baby water should not contain silver or large amounts of minerals. You should also pay attention to the absence of gases, which are undesirable to consume before 10 years.

Attention! You should not buy special medicinal water, since it contains many minerals and is intended for adults, and for consumption in a certain quantity.

Important indicators of baby water, which should also be normal, are alkalinity and hardness (5 mEq/l and 7 mEq/l, respectively). It should not contain heavy metals and other harmful impurities.

Container for baby water

As you know, glass containers are better than plastic ones. True, it is a little more expensive, but safer. If you buy water in a plastic container, you need to make sure that the number 7 in a triangle is indicated on the bottom. This material is considered the safest. The greatest threat to health is posed by plastic containers with numbers 1 and 3.

Typically, baby water is sold in containers with a volume of 0.33–5 liters. It is not difficult to guess that buying a product in a large package will be cheaper. But it is important to calculate how quickly the water will be used up. It should not be stored for more than three days in an open container. Therefore, if it will not be used during this period, it is better to buy a smaller volume.

The label must indicate that the water is for children. In addition, conscientious manufacturers will definitely indicate the age category of children for whom the product is recommended. The label must also describe storage rules, indicate the date of manufacture and expiration date. It is not recommended to buy water with different flavors or fortified with vitamins.

Cost of water for children

Of course, every buyer tries to save money. However, it is necessary to remember that a quality product is more expensive. Safe baby water goes through several stages of purification using special equipment. The cost of baby water, in particular, depends on the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, brand awareness does not mean anything. Not all baby water produced by popular manufacturers is of high quality and suitable for use by children. According to the results of the research, the optimal content of minerals is found in Sulinka children's mineral water. It is completely free of harmful impurities, and the beneficial components are in the correct ratio. In addition, its entire mineral composition is of natural origin, and is not reduced as in most other children's waters.

Sources for baby water

In addition to proper multi-stage purification, water suitable for children must be obtained from certain sources. These are deep artesian wells located in ecologically clean areas.

Before the water is poured into containers, it undergoes additional purification. Don't pay attention to the label design. Often, manufacturers use a marketing ploy by depicting mountains or clean lakes. Thus, they try to convince consumers of the naturalness of their own product. You need to carefully read what is written on the label so as not to buy ordinary water that has been passed through a filter. Of course, it is not worth purchasing such a product. After all, ordinary water can be passed through a household filter designed specifically for children, and the quality will be no worse.

Attention! Children are prohibited from drinking water obtained from open sources.

You should not use it, even if these sources are located in environmentally friendly regions. As you know, microbes, toxins, nitrates, clay and sand easily penetrate into such water.

As for tap water, it is strictly prohibited for children. The fact is that it contains a lot of harmful impurities, and chlorine is added for disinfection. This substance does not evaporate even after boiling. Chlorine has a negative effect not only on children's, but also on adults' bodies. According to scientists, long-term exposure to this substance can lead to the development of malignant tumors. In addition, all useful substances that are found in small quantities in tap water are destroyed after boiling.

Thus, parents should approach the choice of water for their child with all responsibility. The harmful substances that it may contain have a detrimental effect on the child’s body that has not yet become stronger. In order for a child to develop in accordance with the norms, he must not be exposed to negative influences, whatever they may be. Baby water must be marked as a product of the highest category, otherwise its quality is called into question.

I like!

Children's water is a special category; it is used to designate water of low mineralization that has undergone multiple purification. Water is introduced into the diet starting from 4 months when breastfeeding, and when switching to formula - from the first days of life. Children's mineral water should not only be clean, but also healthy, which is why the water is enriched with a set of microelements. Baby water is divided into two main categories:

Drinking water. The amount of minerals is 200-300 mg/l; it can only be used for drinking, but not for preparing mixtures or cereals - otherwise, excess minerals may upset the balance in nutrition.
Water for preparing mixtures. The mineralization rate is 64-107 mg/l, this is the mildest type.

Criterias of choice:

Chemical composition. Carbonated water is not used in baby food; the hardness should be no more than 7 mEq/L. Alkalinity does not exceed 5 mEq/l. Water is collected from artesian wells, after which it undergoes filtration, this eliminates the presence of excess salts.

Water marking. Each manufacturer indicates the word “Children’s” on the label; in addition, the purpose of this type of water and the age at which it should be introduced into the diet are written on it.

Package. You can purchase water in containers from 0.33 to 5 liters. It is recommended not to store an open bottle of baby water for more than a day, even in the refrigerator, so for small children it is preferable to choose small containers.

Infants need to be given water. It saturates the body with microelements that promote the development of organs and bone tissue. However, their digestive system is ready to accept only specially purified water. The bottled prepared liquid can be drunk and used to prepare complementary foods. What kind of water is best to give to an infant so as not to cause colic will be advised by specialists from the Daughters-Sons online store.

What kind of water can you give a newborn baby?

For infants, it is recommended to choose a drink with a balanced mineral composition. Water for newborns should not contain sugar or high concentrations of sodium salts. It is good if the product contains potassium, calcium, sulfates and fluorine. These components stimulate tissue growth and stabilize the gastric microflora.

Newborns are not allowed to drink carbonated water. This can lead to an imbalance in the intestines, severe bloating and painful colic. An increased concentration of sodium salts has a detrimental effect on the kidneys and disrupts the water-salt balance in the baby’s body. Therefore, pediatricians recommend choosing drinks with a low level of salt.

Modern manufacturers offer a huge range of products. To determine which water is best for children, you should carefully read the label, which says what microelements the liquid contains, how it is purified and other information.

Table 1. What kind of water to buy for your child. Features of different brands.

Brand	Peculiarities	Purpose
"Granny's Basket"	Conditioned by salt composition. Available in eco-containers of 0.5, 1.5 and 5 liters.	To quench your thirst. For preparing soups, mixtures and porridges.
"Grow Big"	Contains potassium, sulfate, fluorine, magnesium and calcium. Bottled.	No need to boil. For preparing any baby food.
Fleur Alpine	From an artesian spring of the highest category. Saturated with oxygen. 100% antibacterial treatment.	To saturate the child's body with oxygen and minerals.
"Nutrilak"	Reduced salt concentration. It undergoes multi-stage bactericidal cleaning with active oxygen.	With an imbalance or lack of minerals in the body. Used in complementary foods of any kind.
Humana	Enriched with calcium, magnesium and carbon dioxide. You don't have to boil it.	To dilute the mixture. Gives a neutral taste.

Important!

Pediatricians recommend giving infants water, the quality of which is approved by the Russian Ministry of Health. For example, such manufacturers include the brand “Grow Big”. This is healthy and tasty water.

Expert opinion

It is dangerous to give boiled water from the tap or pump room to infants. In addition, during the boiling process, the liquid loses many microelements necessary for a growing body. For newborns, we recommend buying artesian purified water with balanced mineralization, without gas and sugar.

Specialist of the online store “Daughters and Sons”
Ekaterina Antonova

conclusions

What kind of water to order home for children is up to the parents to decide. Many manufacturers that specialize in baby food and water offer high-quality products. They offer a drink that is absolutely safe for babies, with a complex of useful elements. Water is extracted from artesian springs, purified and mineralized in accordance with the needs of the baby.

Every mother knows that water is the basis of life, because about 80% of a person consists of water. The cleaner, healthier and better quality the water your baby drinks, the stronger his health.

Water - a completely unique product, neither juice, nor tea, nor soda can replace it, because water is easily absorbed, participates in almost all vital processes in the body, and it also helps regulate body temperature.

Water is especially important for babies who are bottle-fed or mixed-fed, because it is water that is used to dilute baby food . It is also recommended that bottle-fed babies be given water to drink after feedings. Children who are breastfed, up to 6 months of age, may not drink water at all; breast milk is enough for them, and after this age, with the introduction of complementary foods, it is advisable to start introducing them to water.

Parents often have a question: Many of you have probably heard that special baby water is best suited for babies. Nowadays there is a lot of baby water from different manufacturers on store shelves. How to make the right choice? Let's figure it out together...

What is special about baby water?

You have probably thought more than once about what is special about the very baby water that is recommended to be given to children? How is it better than regular bottled water for adults? Is it possible to give a baby adult water? Or maybe water from a well or pump room would be better?

It’s worth noting right away that we suggest you discard the thoughts of giving your baby water from a well or pump room and never return to them again. It is dangerous to give children water from a well or pump room and, since modern agriculture uses nitrates, which end up in groundwater and in the water of wells and pump rooms. Nitrates are very dangerous for the baby's health!

As for regular bottled water for adults, it must be said that adult water is not intended for a child’s body. It may have a high content of mineral salts and sodium ions. Water with such a composition can harm the baby’s delicate renal excretory system.

Pediatrician Vera Semyonovna Kislova: « Children’s water must have a balanced mineral composition; only such water will help the proper flow of metabolic processes in the baby’s body, positively influencing the child’s development.”

High quality baby water contains all the microelements necessary for the child's body, it does not provoke fluid retention in the body and allows the baby to develop harmoniously.

Mom Lika, who is raising her 5-month-old daughter Alina, says: “For a long time I couldn’t choose what kind of baby water to give my daughter, but after doing a little analysis of the baby water market, I came to the conclusion that Malyatko water is the highest quality, safest and most beneficial for a child’s body, so I choose this water.”

What should baby water be like?

Every parent wants to be sure that they are giving their baby the best. That is why it is very important to know the existing basic requirements for the quality of baby water. Knowing these requirements, it is very easy to analyze the quality of a particular brand of water and draw your own conclusion.

Today, baby food products and their components must comply with the Law of Ukraine “On Baby Food”, as well as hygienic standards for the safety and nutritional value of baby food products established by sanitary and epidemiological rules and regulations SanPiN (State Sanitary Rules and Norms). According to these regulatory documents, there is a specific list of requirements for baby water :

1. Composition. Baby water should be safe and healthy for the child:

should not be treated with chemicals;
must not contain preservatives;
the amount of minerals should be no more than 150 - 400 mg/dm3 in dry residue;
the amount of sodium ions - no more than 2-20 mg/dm3;
baby water should not contain impurities and microorganisms;
it should be odorless and tasteless.

2. Tara should be comfortable for mother and child, as well as optimal for storing water. Baby water should be bottled in disposable containers with a volume of no more than 6 liters. It is desirable that the assortment includes bottles of smaller volumes - 0.33, 1.5 liters, and so on. Then you can buy the right bottle depending on the situation.

Mom Veronica, who is raising her 3-year-old son Kirill, says: "I choose Malyatko water. Firstly, I know that this water is of high quality and safe, and secondly, the water is packaged in very convenient containers: a large 5 liter bottle for the whole family, a 1.5 liter bottle for drinking by a pregnant or nursing mother (by the way, it is very convenient to use trip, and without a bottle 0.33 - we don’t go out to the park for a walk or go on a trip. The smallest bottle with the new “sippy nipple” cap- absolutely a find! What I like most is thatThe baby can drink from the new bottle on his own without spilling a drop of water on himself. The cap itself is activated exclusively while sucking water, and the rest of the time the baby can play or turn the bottle over. At the same time, I am calm: the clothes will remain dry, and I won’t have to change my baby’s clothes. And how the baby likes to suck out water, because this process is one-on-one reminiscent of breastfeeding! “Malyatko” always pleases us, mothers, not only with impeccable quality, but also with new products. These colored caps are still my child’s favorite toy, a great idea.”

Types of baby water
Water for children is the highest quality water available today, if it is made by the manufacturer according to all the rules.
Baby water is divided into two types:

Please note that it cannot be used for preparing baby food, due to the fact that its composition is clearly balanced, so additional trace elements and minerals can upset the balance, making it unhealthy for the baby. The optimal composition of minerals in drinking water is 200-300 mg/l.
This type of water is softer than for drinking; it contains fewer trace elements and minerals - 64-107 mg/l.

Alena Paretskaya, pediatrician, consultant on pregnancy and childbirth, breastfeeding and child nutrition:“Children should not drink the mineral water that adults drink - its composition is not suitable for a delicate body due to its high mineralization. Of course, high-quality drinking water for children should not contain heavy metals or other unacceptable impurities.
Please note that young children should not drink sparkling water until at least 3 years of age! Ideally, drinking carbonated water should appear in a child’s diet starting from 5-7 years old.”

Children's drinking water. Rules for a successful purchase
When purchasing water for children, pay attention to the label:

The name of the water must contain the word “children’s”.
The product label must indicate that the water is artesian (natural, natural), and the details of the well (number and city) must be posted.
Please note that water of different composition is suitable for children of different ages. Typically, on the label, manufacturers indicate the age at which it is recommended to drink this water. If this item is not specified, it is better to refrain from purchasing.
The ideal composition of minerals and trace elements in water for children is from 200 to 300 mg/l, the maximum allowable level is 400-500 mg/l.
Silver is not allowed in baby water as it is a preservative.
The mineral composition of baby water must meet general standards: potassium - 5-20 mg per 1 liter; calcium -< 60 мг на 1 литр; магний - 10-35 мг на 1 литр; натрий - < 20 мг на 1 литр; фторид-ион - < 0,920 мг на 1 литр; хлориды - < 150 мг на 1 литр; йодид-ион - 40-60 мкг/л; сульфаты - < 150 мг на 1 литр
Water hardness should be in the range of 1.5 - 7 mEq/l.
The alkalinity of baby water is no more than 5 mEq/l.
Make sure the water in the bottle is clean, transparent, free of impurities and sediment.
Do not buy medicinal and therapeutic-and-prophylactic water for your child: it contains exceeded levels of mineral salts.
You can check whether the water is registered in the Rospotrebnadzor register on the website fp.crc.ru.
The shelf life of children's drinking water is from 3 to 18 months.
The label indicates the storage conditions for baby water, which must be strictly followed. If you have opened a bottle of water, it can be used within three days; after this period, it is better to boil the water.

More detailed information about the requirements for drinking water can be found in San Pin No. 2.1.4.1116-02.

Example from a store shelf
Children's drinking water AGUSHA "Green Valley", 1.5 l

Natural drinking water “Green Valley” for children (the label says “From 0 months”). Artesian, highest category, non-carbonated. Well No. GVK-45214039, located in Zelenograd.
Expiration date: 12 months. Store at temperatures from +4°C to +25°C and relative humidity 85% in the absence of direct sunlight. The period of use of water without boiling after opening the bottle is no more than 3 days at a temperature of +4°C with the lid closed.
Composition of the product:
Total mineralization - 200-500 mg/l
Total hardness - 1.5-7.0 mEq/l
Cations, mg/l:
Calcium - 25-60
Magnesium - 5-50
Anions, mg/l:
Hydrocarbonates - 30-300
Sulfates - no more than 100
Fluorides - 0.6-1.0
Certificate of state Registration dated March 29, 2012 No.RU.77.99.15.006.E.005974.03.12