Water and juice can both be a part of the breastfed baby's diet with some considerations:

*Don't offer any water or juice prior to the 6th month. Both can take the place of more nutritious breastmilk. Juice provides no fat and no protein with many empty calories. Too much water in the diet of a very young baby can cause kidney overload. Water has no calories, fats, or proteins. Breastmilk is about 85% water anyway and is all that a baby under 6 months of age needs even in hot weather.

*After 6 months, offer juice and water only from a cup, never from a bottle. Juice in a bottle increases the likelihood of tooth decay even if your baby has no teeth yet. Water in a bottle may increase the likelihood that your baby will begin to prefer the bottle over the breast.

*Offer water and juice with meals only. This ensures that your baby continues to nurse frequently between meals guarantees that breastmilk stays primary in his diet. This also helps better maintain your milk supply.

*Offer no more than 3-4 ounces of juice per day until 12 months of age, no more than 4-6 ounces of juice from there on. This ensures that your baby/child consumes enough other foods which provide the necessary fats and proteins needed for optimal growth and brain development.

*Serve only 100% pure juice to your baby or child. This helps cut down on the amount of sugar in the juice and ensures that your child receives enough vitamin C.

*Consider mixing cereal with juice if your baby won't take it with milk. This often improves the taste, and the vitamin C in the juice increases the absorption of iron in the cereal.

*Make sure that your water is fluoridated to protect your child from dental decay.

Additional Resources:

Guidelines for Offering Water

Guidelines for Offering Juice

Last Revision: December 18, 2004