If you are a new parent, then it’s natural that you would have a lot of concerns over the health and well-being of your child. All parents want to see their babies grow and develop in healthy, natural ways, with access to the best air, water, food, and quality of life available. With the rise of so many new and alarming air and water pollutants, however, it can be difficult to know where to turn for the safest and best sources of clean nutrition for your child. Water poses a special challenge, not only for newborns and new mothers, but for all human beings, inasmuch as we all require a great deal of water every day just to stay alive. As it turns out, water in its natural state on this planet is simply unsafe to imbibe, as it almost always contains dangerous contaminants, from parasites and viruses to heavy metals and human-made synthetics. In this article, we will consider some of the safe options for you and the new baby to rely on when it comes to accessing clean, potable water.
Why Water Quality Matters for Babies
Water quality matters for all living things. From a single-celled organism to a blue whale, living things on this planet require water to survive, adapt, grow, self-differentiate, and reproduce. And, while water is important at every step in a plant or animal’s life cycle, the early, generative phases of a new creature’s life are when it is most vulnerable, and most in need of quality nutrition and clean water to form a solid foundation of physical health and development. To focus on human beings: the first few years of a child’s life are abuzz with activity and development. While your baby may not walk until he or she is around one, or talk until they are two, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t constantly developing. Everything that happens in the first few years of life plays a major role in the ongoing development of a tiny brain and body, and the things that the infant eats and drinks are near the top of the list when it comes to importance.
Newborn babies should not drink straight water for some time, but water will still make up the bulk of their diet, whether it is mixed into baby formula, or filtered through the mother’s body when she breast-feeds the infant. Either way, better quality water means better health for both mother and child. Water serves as a sort of universal building block in the processes of physical development; it is a lubricant and agent of change within our physical systems, and that medium through which our body flushes out toxins, moves vitamins and minerals, and does much of its physical work of daily life.
When the water that we drink is full of dangerous contaminants, those substances become a part of our body. If there is lead, for instance, in your water, that dangerous, heavy metal can be absorbed into your flesh and blood, leading to cognitive impairment, physical damage, and ultimately death. The effects of things like lead on young, developing children, are truly horrific, stunting physical and mental development, leading to innumerable health and behavioral problems, and ultimately causing a great deal of damage and heartache. Simply stated, water can be very, very dangerous, because we need it to survive, but it is also a powerful solvent that may contain trace amounts of anything that exists on our planet. Clearly, water is a problem that stands in need of an ongoing solution.
Understanding Water Purifiers
The need for reliable, consistent, and effective water filtration has been recognized since ancient times. The earliest human records show that people have long been aware of the dangers associated with drinking untreated water, and methods such as boiling, distillation, and filtering through charcoal (activated carbon) have been in constant use by human beings for thousands of years. It is only within the past century or so, however, that human beings have been able to get a real handle on water treatment, rendering huge amounts of water safe to consume through delivery in a municipal system. One of the biggest advances that allowed for this improvement was the advent of chlorination. Chlorine was first used to disinfect water in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1907, and the results of this innovation have been widespread and profound, with many waterborne diseases disappearing virtually overnight.
Today, water filtration and purification are big business, with huge treatment plants to be found along the coastlines of the world, desalinating seawater, or treating brackish source water from inland lakes, streams, rivers, and reservoirs. While large, systemic efforts to improve global water conditions are great steps, in the interim, there is a lot that you can do at home to get some additional levels of safety in the water you drink. Home water filtration systems have never been more accessible, and according to All Filters, there are a wide range of options that are both affordable, and easy-to-install. From a whole-house system that hones in on the specific contaminant profile in your home, to a small refrigerator filter or under sink unit, the possibilities for quality home filtration are manifold.
Is Water From a Water Purifier Safe for Babies?
As noted above, very young babies should not drink plain water–they are best served by drinking a pediatrician-approved formula made with clean, potable water, or even better, drinking their mother’s milk. When it comes to mixing up formula however, many new parents wonder: what water is best? You can pay for expensive baby water from the store, which will be a safe bet, though it gets pricey. Pediatricians in the United States state that tap water is generally safe to use in making baby formula, provided that it is from a known municipal source that conducts and reports annual tests in accordance with all federal and states laws. However, even the best tap water can generally be made better, and passing your water through a home filtration system can help to reduce trace contaminants, improve flavor, and give you some added peace of mind for you and your child.
Pros and Cons of Using Purified Water for Babies
The benefits of using a water filter or home purification system are clear: contaminant reduction and an additional layer of protection and safety. There aren’t many downsides to going with purified or filtered water, aside from the associated costs. If your tap water is already of very high quality (as many regions throughout the United States can boast), then your hard-earned dollars may be better spent elsewhere than on a filtration system and regular filter replacements. Check your local water quality report, and have your home water professionally tested to determine where your water is currently at.
Comparing Purified Water to Other Water Sources
Water that is put through a multi-stage home filtration system, such as a reverse osmosis system that incorporates sediment and carbon filtration, will improve the quality of tap water, removing chlorine and a variety of trace contaminants. Bottled or baby water can also be a good choice, but the quality you can achieve with a home filtration system rivals that of baby water, and will be less expensive in the long run.
Tips for Ensuring Water Safety for Babies
When traveling with your baby, make sure that you have access to reliable, clean water if you use formula, as well as for yourself. If you breastfeed your baby, then your own body will do the work of getting the child what they need, but you need to ensure that you also have access to clean, potable water wherever you might be, as well as adequate nutrition.
What Pediatricians Recommend
The pediatric community holds that water should not be given directly to babies under 6 months of age, as they require milk from their mother, or from a pediatrician-approved baby formula. They also agree that tap water is generally safe to use in the United States, though caution should be taken if you live in a known high-contaminant area, if you live in an older structure, or if you have any reason to believe that your water quality may have been compromised. To play it safe, you can always go with baby water from the store, or invest in a home filtration system.
Conclusion
Raising a newborn is a stressful business, so it’s always nice to take one potential problem or cause for alarm out of the equation. Even if your water is decent already, you can spruce it up with a home filtration system–there are all sorts of great, economical options on the market today, so speak to a local plumber or water dealer about what is in your water, and the best way to get it out for peace of mind for your growing family.