home filtered tap water is boiled until your baby is 12 months old. Tank water can be at risk of becoming unsafe to drink.
6 Sterilizing water for healthy term infants has historically been recommended until infants are four months of age. By four months infants are commonly putting many non-sterilized objects in their mouths. Therefore four months has been chosen as the age for discontinuing the sterilization of water.
Your child can also have tap water, but there's no need to boil it after 12 months. If you're thinking of giving your child dairy alternatives as drinks, it's best to talk to your paediatrician, GP or child and family health nurse.
After 12 months, their main drink should be water and cow's milk or breastmilk. You can offer water or milk in a cup. There's no need to boil tap water once your baby has reached 12 months. If your baby has just started on solids, start with a few sips of water from a cup when they are eating.
From 0 to 6 months
Fully breastfed babies do not need any water until they've started eating solid foods. During hot weather they may want to breastfeed more than usual. If you're bottle feeding, as well as their usual milk feeds, you can give your baby a little cooled boiled water.
Your baby shouldn't drink water until you start introducing solids at around 6 months of age. Even then – like so many other developmental milestones – the transition from breastmilk or formula to solids and water is a gradual process.
If you give your baby water before she is 4 months old, make sure it has boiled thoroughly for 1 minute, no matter where it comes from, whether a municipal system, private well, bulk container, or bottle.
Babies under six months should only drink tap water that has been boiled and cooled down. Water straight from the tap is not sterile so is not suitable for younger babies. Once your baby is six months old, you can offer them water straight from the tap in a beaker or cup.
If you feel more comfortable boiling all water until your baby's a year old, don't feel any pressure to stop doing this. It may seem less confusing and your baby will be perfectly safe drinking cooled, boiled water. More advice and information on formula feeding: Should you make formula in advance?
You should always boil water before using it to make formula milk. Powdered infant formula milk is not sterile. Even though tins and packets of milk powder are sealed, they can still contain bacteria. Water that hasn't been boiled can also contain bacteria.
For babies more than six months old, boiling tap water is not necessary. Boiling tap water doesn't change the amount of fluoride in it.
After the 6 month mark, babies can start to have small cups of water straight from the tap. Before this age, freshly boiled water - cooled - is best practice because boiling the water kills any bacteria in it.
The short answer is no. 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.
Cool boiled water
Offer your baby cooled boiled water in a cup at mealtimes or at snack times. Continue to boil and cool both tap and bottled water for your baby until they are 12 months old.
Bottled, Fizzy & Flavoured
Boiled water should reach a temperature of at least 70C to prepare a feed, allowing to cool before giving to baby. Again, whether using bottled water for a feed or for a drink, best practice is to boil and cool it before offering to baby.
You can safely use fluoridated tap water to prepare infant formula. Exposure to fluoride during infancy helps prevent tooth decay.
Herbal helpers
Pour on boiling water and let it steep for 10 to 20 minutes until it's cooled. Give your baby one tablespoon to one ounce, in a bottle or on a spoon, two to four times a day. “If it's going to work for your baby,” says Kemper, “you will see results in a day or two.”
However, it is still best to boil tap water and let it cool before you use it to make your baby's formula. Boiling water kills any germs, like bacteria or viruses, that might get into the water.
It's important to sterilise all your baby's feeding equipment, including bottles and teats, until they are at least 12 months old. This will protect your baby against infections, in particular diarrhoea and vomiting.
If you're wondering if your baby can have yogurt, most experts agree that 6 months is a good age to begin eating the creamy and yummy concoction. This is a good age because it's around this same time that most babies are starting to eat solid food.
If your baby is finding it difficult to stop hiccupping, give her a sip of cooled boiled water and it may just stop the hiccups!
Water. Once your baby has started to eat solid foods (from around 6 months) you can offer them sips of water from a cup or beaker with meals. Drinking water for babies over 6 months does not need to be boiled first.
Once your baby is six months old, you can start introducing a small amount of water with their meals. Offer it in an open cup, straw cup, or sippy cup. The recommended daily intake of water for babies ages 6 to 12 months is about 4 to 8 ounces.
Boil water for the first 3 months of age.
Boil water longer if your health care provider recommends it or if water safety is a concern.