For healthy adults, nothing seems to quench thirst better than pure, fresh water. However, there is a time in everyone's life when drinking water, even in small amounts, can be fatal. Health experts advise against giving drinking water to children under six months of age, as consuming too much water can expose them to a potentially life-threatening condition known as water intoxication.
Healthy adult bodies are made up of about 55-60% water on average. In infants, water constitutes roughly 75% of their bodies. This difference is the reason infants should not drink water before they reach at least six months of age. It does not matter whether the water is from a tap, well, or spring; drinking water from any source poses a life-threatening risk to the child.
Both kidneys have a limit to how much water they can handle. Exceeding this limit will cause the excess water to return to the bloodstream, diluting the salt or sodium levels in the blood. Experts explain that giving young children water causes their bodies to release sodium along with the excess water. The loss of sodium can affect brain activity, so early symptoms of water intoxication can include irritability, drowsiness, and other mental changes. Other symptoms may include low body temperature, swelling in the face, and seizures.
Hyponatremia occurs when cells attempt to normalize sodium levels by absorbing excess water, causing them to swell like a water balloon, resulting in complications such as confusion, vomiting, and muscle spasms. Hyponatremia is common among marathon runners who drink too quickly and in large amounts during a race without also replenishing enough sodium to balance their blood.
If drinking continues, the excess water eventually reaches brain cells, leading to a dangerous condition known as water intoxication. This occurs when brain cells swell, causing pressure to build up within the skull. This can result in seizures, brain damage, and in severe cases, death. However, do not worry; death from water intoxication is extremely difficult for an adult to experience. For newborns, it is a different story, as their kidneys are about half the size of adult kidneys. Thus, they cannot retain much water initially, and it only takes a few sips to cause problems.
Moreover, their kidneys are not sufficiently developed to filter water properly. Consequently, any water that enters their bodies ends up in circulation, diluting their blood and increasing their water content by 7 to 8%. However, it is not just drinking water directly that poses a threat. In fact, most cases of water intoxication in infants do not involve even a cup of water. A common mistake occurs when people excessively dilute baby formula by accident, or when parents immerse their infants in the pool, causing the baby to swallow a lot of water in the process.
