Can Babies Drink Softened Water: Is It Safe?
If you’re a new parent or caregiver, you might be wondering if softened water is safe to drink and if you can use it in baby feeds. While softened water is generally safe and healthy for most adults and children, it’s not recommended for babies under six weeks old. Here’s why.
Why Avoid Softened Water for Baby Formula?
The Drinking Water Inspectorate sets strict sodium limits in water for infants. According to the Drinking Water Regulations, water used for baby feeds should contain no more than 200 mg of sodium per litre. This limit helps ensure that the total sodium in formula milk, combined with the water used to make it up, doesn’t exceed 350 mg per litre, a safe threshold for babies.
Babies’ kidneys, especially those under six weeks, are still developing and cannot process excess sodium well. Most baby formulas are carefully formulated to provide the right sodium balance, and using softened water, which naturally has a higher sodium content, can disrupt this delicate balance. For this reason, always check the baby formula packaging for sodium advice and consult your healthcare provider if unsure.
Is Softened Water Safe for Baby Feeds?
You can only safely use softened water for baby feeds if the sodium concentration in the softened water is below 200 mg/litre. However, in most cases, water softened by a Harvey water softener will exceed this sodium limit, so it is generally not recommended for mixing baby formula.
What Does the NHS Say?
The NHS advises using drinking water from an unsoftened drinking water tap when preparing baby formula. They recommend boiling the water first, then allowing it to cool for up to 30 minutes before mixing the feed. They also caution against using bottled water or artificially softened water for baby feeds. Click here for more information.
How Harvey Water Softeners Help
When we install a Harvey water softener, we include a separate drinking water tap that provides unsoftened water straight from your mains supply. This means you have a safe, convenient source of water for drinking, cooking, and preparing baby formula.
If you already have a water softener but don’t have a dedicated drinking water tap, get in touch with us, we can often fit one to ensure you always have access to unsoftened water.
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Softened water provides so many benefits to your home and family, from a shiny kitchen and bathroom to being soft on skin and hair.
