We recently talked about the importance of water consumption in children, especially in summer, to balance the loss of fluids and prevent dehydration.
Water is an essential element for the functioning of the body, but not just any water is suitable for drinking, so you have to have certain water consumption precautions, especially when it comes to young children.
We have already commented that the percentage of water in the human body is 70 percent in the case of adults and between 85 and 95 percent in the case of babies, therefore it is essential to always maintain hydration levels for the healthy functioning of body tissues.
It is recommended that a child drink daily between 50-60 ml of water per kilo of weight.
Tap water
Tap water is a good option because it is of good quality and the most economical. In Spain, we open the tap, fill a glass and drink it without risk. However, in some areas, the water is very hard, the hardness is caused by the content of lime and magnesium salts, and has an unpleasant taste.
The provincial capitals generally have good water treatment, but the small towns are not at the same level.
According to recent studies conducted by the OCU (2009), contaminants in tap water had decreased, however the presence of minerals in it can be excessive for the consumption of babies and young children.
The report shows the presence of 6 types of contaminants in tap water: volatile organic compounds or VOCs, trihalomethanes, boron, nitrates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs and pesticides. Despite finding these pollutants, their levels have decreased compared to the last report; although the OCU has encountered problems in Orense and La Bisbal; and some deficiencies due to trihalomethanes in Barcelona, Huelva and Molina de Segura; for pesticides in Las Palmas and Salamanca, for nitrates in Almusafes and for boron in Maspalomas.
Below, you can see a map of water hardness in Spain.
Mineral water
Therefore, although running water is suitable for consumption mineral water is the most recommended for childhood consumption, since it is better assimilated by children.
The natural mineral waters are healthy waters from its origin, nature. That is why they do not need any chemical disinfection treatment and are packed with all their purity and natural properties. In addition mineral waters provide a composition in minerals beneficial to health that remains unchanged over time and can always be consulted on its label.
Natural mineral water is the best option for bottle preparation. Since it is a pure water from its origin, it is free of pathogenic microorganisms and parasites from its birth to its commercialization, so it does not need to be chemically treated, so that it can be used to prepare the bottle and baby porridge without need of boiling it.
On some occasion we have talked about which are the most suitable mineral water brands for babies and where you can find updated information with the incorporation of new brands.
Water on trips
It is possible that many families with young children take advantage of vacations to travel to another country, where you do not know the quality of the water, whether or not it is suitable for drinking. When in doubt, in those cases it is always better to choose a bottled mineral water. But beware, that not all the water sold is bottled mineral water.
It has to be natural mineral water with a weak or very weak mineralization and low in sodium. Natural mineral water keeps all its properties intact thanks to the protection of its packaging and allows to always know its composition through the label. It is important to always check that the container is properly sealed.
We hope you found these useful water consumption precautions that you must take into account with young children, whether you stay at home in summer or if you travel to other countries.
