Is your tap water safe for babies? Do you need to distill water for baby formula?
New parents have many questions when it comes to feeding their children, and water is no exception. In this article, we’ll dispel some myths by discussing the following:
2. Is distilled water the same as purified water?
3. Is distilled water safe for babies?
4. When can babies drink water?
5. Is hard water harmful to my baby?
At WaterSmart, we have almost 30 years of experience in the water and plumbing industry and we'd love to share our expertise with you.
Is Distilled Water Safe for Babies?
1. What is distilled water?
Distilled water is formed when natural water is boiled and the steam is collected and condensed back into a liquid state.
When water enters into a vaporated state, all minerals and impurities are removed.
The evaporated water (the steam) is collected as it cools and condenses back to liquid. This newly condensed water is now distilled, and incredibly pure.
In the end, you’re left with high-quality, pure H20.
The distilling process removes all of the impurities found in water and more than 99.9% of the minerals dissolved in water.
To distill water, all you need is a large pot, a curved pot lid, a smaller glass or ceramic bowl and ice cubes.
distilling water is pretty simple.
2. Is distilled water the same as purified water?
When discussing water safe for babies, it is important to differentiate between distilled water and tap water. You should know that distilled and purified water are very similar. They both have almost all of the impurities and minerals removed from them.
The removal process, however, is different.
To get purified water, a process called reverse osmosis is used.
Here, water is passed through a tiny membrane that traps and removes the microbes and chemicals but retains helpful minerals.
Home distillation systems use a lot of energy to operate, making them quite expensive to run.
A reverse osmosis system is a more economical alternative if you want to prepare your baby's formula and have purified water to drink in your home.
Purified water forms through a process called reverse osmosis.
3. Is distilled water Safe for babies?
If your tap water contains fluoride and your baby's main source of food comes from mixing a power or liquid-concentrate formula with water, then you might run the risk of your child developing faint white lines or streaks on their teeth.
This is known as fluorosis.
You can use ready-to-feed formula, although this can be quite costly.
Distilled water is safe for babies to drink. Using distilled water will minimize the risk of your baby developing fluorosis.
However, because the fluoride has been removed from distilled water, your doctor might recommend giving fluoride supplements to your baby once they are 6 months old.
That’s because exposure to fluoride during infancy will help to prevent tooth decay.
If you are concerned about your baby developing fluorosis, then purified water is a good choice for mixing with your powder or liquid-concentrate formula.
In addition, many people prefer the taste of purified water to distilled water. That should help answer the debate about distilled water vs. tap water.
Bottled water products labelled as de-ionized, purified, demineralized, or distilled have been treated in such a way that they contain no or only trace amounts of fluoride,
USING DISTILLED WATER FOR BABY FORMULA WILL PROTECT YOUR BABY FROM FLUOROSIs, but lack of fluoride can also be a problem.
4. When can babies drink water?
It’s recommended that you wait to give your baby water to drink until they are about 6 months old.
That’s about the same time that you start to introduce solids into their diet.
Breastfeeding and formula are the recommended sole source of nutrition and liquids up until 6 months old.
HARD WATER COULD MAKE YOUR BABY MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ECZEMA
5. Is hard water harmful to my baby?
Now, according to a recent study led by King's College in London, high levels of water hardness in your home could be linked to the development of eczema early in life.
The study found that babies living in a hard water area were up to 87% more likely to have eczema at 3 months of age.
Having soft water in your home could help prevent your baby from developing eczema.
A water softener can help you solve your hard water problem. The professionals at WaterSmart can help you choose the most effective water softener for the level of hardness in your particular area.
How to get water safe for babies
A reverse osmosis system is a more economical alternative if you want to prepare your baby's formula and have purified water to drink in your home.
Another more economical solution would be to purchase bottled distilled water that you can use to make your baby formula.
If you purchase a 10L re-fillable bottle of distilled water from WaterSmart, it will only cost you $4.50 plus a $10 deposit for the bottle.
Our customers have come to recognize us as a company that provides superior customer service combined with the highest quality products at the best prices.
Contact the water softener specialists at WaterSmart today.
“We’ve had WaterSmart install a RO drinking system, water softener, electric hot water heater and plumbing for a new dishwasher. They do a great job and are efficient & thorough. Thanks guys!”
