best for baby
be water wise k
erryn Gibson, a Durban-based paediatric and sports dietician, says bottled water may have unsafe levels of minerals such as sodium, potassium and magnesium. Good old tap water is your safest bet, she says. “Our water in this country is of such a good quality that there’s no reason to drink bottled water.” Kath Megaw, a paediatric dietician in Cape Town, agrees. “The strict South African Bureau of Standards’ codes assure us that the water is safe for our families to drink.”
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too many elements Babies younger than six months get all the liquid they need through breast milk or formula. They don’t really need to drink additional water. In fact, too much water at this early stage can lead to water intoxication, which will affect their kidneys. However, if you are travelling in an area where the water may be contaminated, or you’re unable to prepare cooled boiled water for a formula-feed, you may want to use bottled water instead. It’s important to note that bottled water is not sterile, and that it also needs to be boiled and allowed to cool before use.
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It’s convenient and refreshing, but is bottled water safe for your baby or child to drink? ANÉL LEWIS finds out. Gibson says formula already contains high levels of sodium and potassium, so adding mineral-rich bottled water to the mix will place stress on your baby’s kidneys and organs. “The amount of some minerals used in these bottled waters is not regulated (by legislation) and so at the end of the day, the safest option is boiled tap water,” says Megaw. The South African National Bottled Water Association (SANBWA) assures consumers that when it comes to the mineral content “no South African water falls into a category high enough for concern”. SANBWA chairman John Weaver, says that commercially sold bottled water can be safely consumed by babies and
children, because of its low mineral content. He recommends that “all water – whether from a tap or a bottle – be boiled and allowed to cool before it is used for infants”. If you do turn to bottled water to make up formula, make sure it is not the sparkling variety as this could irritate the stomach.
dental concerns Tap water is one of the main sources of fluoride, a trace element that strengthens teeth and helps prevent tooth decay. Dr Nadia Mohamed, head of paediatric dentistry at the University of the Western Cape, says children who drink bottled water, or who live in areas where the tap water has
low fluoride levels, should take fluoride supplements as prescribed by a dentist. Water that is labelled as purified, deionised, demineralised or distilled is low in fluoride. There are no studies that conclusively link drinking bottled water to tooth decay, and other factors such as poor dental hygiene and over-consumption of sugary foods will obviously play a role. Too much fluoride can cause discolouration of the teeth.
be label-savvy If you give bottled water to your child, look for the SANBWA logo as its members comply with stringent standards. SANBWA sets a guideline for sulphates (SO4) at less than 1 000mg/l, nitrates (NO3) at less than 50mg/l and a maximum limit for fluoride of 5mg/l. Where bottled water contains more than 1,5mg of fluoride it shall have the phrase “not suitable for infants and children under the age of seven years” on the label. Weaver says that as other minerals are unlikely to have an effect on health, legislation does not specify a limit for calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), pH or total dissolved solids.
May 2013
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