For young children and babies drinking enough fluid is essential to health and well-being. A high proportion of their body weight is water – so it’s vital to keep them properly hydrated.

Remember that breast-feeding is best for babies but for infants who are not being breast-fed, water plays an important role in the diet. Suitable bottled water (we’ll explain more about that later) may be used to make up formula feeds and later on as a drink in its own right or for the dilution of fruit juices.

Always seek advice from your doctor or health professional if in doubt.

Some facts:
- a new-born baby is 75% water.
- the water in a baby’s body drop to about 65% of body weight by the first birthday.
- Water is good for growing teeth. Milk and water are the best drinks for children.

Click on each question to view the answer...
Q. How much fluid should my child drink?
Q. What kind of water should young children drink - or should they only drink milk or fruit juice?
Q. Which waters are suitable for babies and young children?
Q. Some people say that you shouldn’t give bottled water to babies. Is this true?
Q. Is water okay to use straight from the bottle?
Q. Fruit juice contains vitamins. Isn’t this better for children than water?
Q. I’m not confident that my child will like the bland taste of water. How can I deal with this?

Travelling with babies
When travelling, for a child who is bottle-fed, bottled water can be a convenient and safe way of making up babies’ feeds. Read our guidelines for travelling with babies.