There is a time in everyones life when drinking water is deadly. Even as much as a few ounces is enough to kill.
Why babies cant drink water ?
You may know, The average healthy adult is made up of 55 to 60% water. On the other hand, the average baby is approximately made up of 75% water. This is the reason that babies should not drink water before the they are at least six months old.
Kidneys have a limit to handle the water. Break that limit, the excess water will back up into your bloodstream, where it dilutes the salt, sodium, in your blood. Once your blood dips below 0.4 ounces of sodium per gallon, you are at a risk of a condition called Hyponatremia. It happens when your cells try to return sodium levels to normal by absorbing the extra water and swell up like a water balloon in the process, causing complications like confusion, vomiting and muscle spasms.
The kidneys of children are about half the size of adults so they cannot hold much water to begin with. An it takes just a few ounces to cause problems. Also, there kidneys are not developed enough yet to properly filter water, so any water that enters their body ends up in the circulatory system, where it dilutes the blood and increases their water content by 7 to 8 %. Most cases of water intoxication in infants dont even involve a glass of water. Take your baby immediately to the hospital if he shows the signs of water intoxication.