Mineral vs. Distilled Water for young babies?

Was just reading another thread on travel. Point came up about using distilled rather than mineral water for babies. Is this the best practice? Boiling distilled water...and never mineral water...to give to babes for drinking and for sterilizing?


Thanks.

I believe that distilled water is the worst thing to give yours, or anyones, body due to the fact that it actually takes the minerals out of your body.

I was always under the impression that mineral water is best for you. Used mineral with my two and they are just fine.

And have just re-read your thread and again and for steralising it is fine to boil and use distilled, just wouldn't advise it for drinking.

According to BOTH my pediatricians, they both have advised me when I travelled with my daughter under 1 year old, that I bring my own distilled water for making formula. Mineral Water like Bonaqua had too high mineral content for babies' kidneys to take, so I gave my daughter mineral water only after 1 year old. I only use Distilled water during travel. At home, we just use boiled tap water.


Why does drinking distilled water TAKE minerals out of your body? It's not good for the body in general b/c it DOESN"T have any minerals in it, whereas our tap water actually does. That's why drinking distilled water long term is not advised b/c our body NEEDS minerals from the water. However, for babies, it's a totally different story.


Ask your pediatrician, the advice about the age might differ, but definitely be careful about using mineral water for babies.


I am using Volvic for my baby right now, he's doing great. Volvic is pretty accessible in many places. You can consider using that. Evian and bonaqua are not good choices.

Volvic is mineral water, not distilled. So no worries there. It's just pretty darn expensive !

Distilled water is just pure water. It doesn't take minerals out of the body, it just doesn't add any. Virtually all of your mineral needs comes from you foods, not your water which has miniscule amounts. The exception is flouride, but then neither mineral or distill have it.


Your choice is purely personal preference. Theoritically distilled is safer. A few years back, it was found that Perrier had more arsenic in it than was recognized. But again, the amounts are miniscule so that it was perfectly safe nevertheless.