Can Babies Have Filtered Tap Water

Filtered water is not the same thing as softened water.

Can babies have filtered tap water.

Fluoride is added to over 75 of municipal tap water supplies in the united states. Once your baby starts eating solid foods you will be able to give him small amounts of water after meals. Filtered water can be relied upon to prepare baby formula being just as safe as bottled water. While most tap water is safe there are three main chemical concerns in using tap water for babies.

However regularly mixing powdered or liquid concentrate infant formula with fluoridated water might increase your child s risk of developing faint white lines or streaks on the teeth fluorosis if these kinds of formula are your child s main source of food. The presence of fluoride lead and or nitrates. I believe it s perfectly fine to give to a baby. There s no need to boil it first.

However once your baby is six months old you can give her a separate drink of water straight from the tap. Use water from the kitchen tap where it will be fresh from the mains. You ll still need to boil filtered water before using it as a drink for your formula fed baby before he s six months old or to make formula milk. You can safely use fluoridated tap water to prepare infant formula.

Exposure to fluoride during infancy helps prevent tooth decay. If you get water from the bathroom tap it may be coming from a storage tank so it won t be as good for drinking. You can give filtered water to your baby to keep him hydrated with clean and healthy water. A water filter like a brita filter takes out the chlorine and not much else i think.

You can use a water filter if you want but make sure you follow the filter manufacturer s instructions.