Can Babies Have Filtered Tap Water

The short answer is no.

Can babies have filtered tap water.

You can give filtered water to your baby to keep him hydrated with clean and healthy water. 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. Once your baby starts eating solid foods you will be able to give him small amounts of water after meals. Fluoride is added to over 75 of municipal tap water supplies in the united states.

Exposure to fluoride during infancy helps prevent tooth decay. While most tap water is safe there are three main chemical concerns in using tap water for babies. The presence of fluoride lead and or nitrates. However just because it s filtered doesn t mean it s sterile and if the baby is under 6 months you shoud sill sterilize.

Filtered water is not the same thing as softened water. I believe it s perfectly fine to give to a baby. However once your baby is six months old you can give her a separate drink of water straight from the tap. 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 safely use fluoridated tap water to prepare infant formula. 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. Answer from jay l. There s no need to boil it first.

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