When Should Baby Drink The Water? Seems There Is Less To Fear Than Some Think
Shigella, along with Salmonella and Cholera, were each responsible for one of the 30 drinking water outbreaks back in the 1993-94 period studied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It found those outbreaks, including 20 from private water wells, were responsible for 2,366 illnesses and one death.
Nothing in the CDC report has anything to do with whether or not babies should drink water. Nevertheless, the report was thrown against the wall this morning in the New York Times as part of a discussion about whether it is safe for babies to drink water.
Dr. Alan Greene, a Danville, CA pediatrician and author, cautions parents against letting baby drink water. Greene, who has his own Web site, says wait until the baby is eating solid food and even then limit water intake to 2 to 4 ounces between feedings.
As for encephalitis, babies will not get it from drinking water from a public supply in the United States. He advises using “absolute pore size” filters to remove Crypto and other parasites. If you have a baby or want one, check out the NYT for the rest.
