Your child will soon become even more active as they grow. That’s why keeping your kids hydrated is essential, especially during their developmental years. But with all the options, how will you know which water source to choose? Can you use distilled water for formula preparation, too?
Although water may all look the same, you’ll notice the difference depending on its source. This content will discuss basic facts about distilled water, how it works, and much more.
What Is Distilled Water?
The distillation process collects water, boils it into steam, and then cools the steam back into its liquid state. Some believe it’s the purest water anyone can drink, making it ideal for your infant’s baby formula.
Unlike boiling water, the water from the steam leaves all traces of biological byproducts and chemicals behind, essentially removing 99.9% of impurities in water. Water distillation is also an old form of purification that can be challenging to achieve, especially if you need a distillation system at home.
Understanding the Difference Between Distilled Water and Tap Water
As the name implies, tap water comes out of a faucet. In most cases, municipal water has undergone various disinfection steps, such as chlorination and other filtration, to eliminate sediments. It may have also undergone chemical treatment to neutralize dirt. Also, most areas these days add fluoride to the system to address tooth decay.
Meanwhile, Distilled water underwent a series of water filtration processes to remove organic materials from the system, ensuring that the water is free of any potentially harmful chemicals or pathogens that may affect your child’s health. It also means you don’t have to boil tap water to get potable drinking water for infant formula.
Distilled bottled water is safe, especially when mixed with your child’s baby formula. However, distilled water does not keep its natural elements. Unlike mineral water, it has no minerals at all. This includes essential ones like calcium and magnesium.
Instances When Distilled Water is Used
- Medical Procedures: Hospitals use distilled or purified water to clean the equipment to avoid spreading infections or potential contamination.
- Cosmetics: Most makeup products used can easily get contaminated. Distilled water ensures that every item is free from microbe or toxin contamination.
- Food Preparation: Besides preparing infant formula, distilled water is also used in the canning process to keep the food’s flavor the same.
- Pets: Tap water often contains chemicals and minerals that might cause adverse effects to fish inside an aquarium. Using distilled water has neutral qualities that can help fishes thrive.
Benefits of Drinking Distilled Water to Children
Ideal for Children With Compromised Immune Systems
Distilled or purified water can be an excellent choice for parents with kids diagnosed with compromised immune systems. Since the water goes through a stringent filtration process, you can guarantee that it’ll be free from harmful organisms that may harm your child, especially when mixing infant formula.
Contains Low Sodium
Unlike other forms of filtration, the distillation process eliminates sodium from its composition, making it perfect for those on a low-sodium diet. Although most tap water sources still contain sodium, it’s relatively low. So, you can still use it for your baby’s bottled water as long as you boil it.
Keeps Your Child Hydrated
Giving your child enough bottled water is essential for their health and wellness. Having bottled water handy ensures they’re protected from pathogens that may harm their health.
Supports Your Baby’s Development
Remember that your child’s body is rapidly developing. So, it’s essential to find the right type of bottled water to support their growth. Using distilled water to keep them hydrated protects them from any damage caused by chemical exposure, which may stunt their development.
It helps Detoxify Your Child’s Internal System
Drinking distilled or purified water can help eliminate the toxins inside your child’s body. As your kid starts drinking water, their body starts to flush away the potentially harmful toxins from their body while keeping them hydrated simultaneously.
The Best Way to Mix Infant Formula
Although nothing beats breast milk for a growing baby, not everyone has the time or means to provide one for their child. So, the best way to give your baby the nourishment they need is by giving them distilled water for baby formula. Distilled water is safer than fluoridated tap water, especially when mixing it with your baby’s formula. That’s because you can guarantee that it doesn’t contain too much fluoride, which may affect your baby’s dental health.
Consequences of Drinking Unfilltered Water
There are instances where clean bottled water can be hard to find. As a result, they become susceptible to various diseases and other pathogens and chemicals that can cause adverse effects on your child’s body. Here are a few potential dangers unfiltered water can bring to human health.
- Hazardous Chemical: Untreated water is susceptible to various forms of contamination, including chemical exposure. When your child is exposed to untreated water, they become prone to high doses of chemicals that can affect their skin or even damage their organs. Over time, exposure to chemicals can also lead to chronic diseases such as cancer.
- Disease-Causing Microbes: Your child is prone to various disease-causing bacteria as they grow. Exposing them to unfiltered water will only cause them to be more inclined to acquire various diseases from potentially dangerous microbes. Exposure to these pathogens may result in vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Sometimes, it can even damage a person’s internal organs and cause various problems, such as kidney failure.
- Heavy Metals: Heavy metals can also pose a threat t your child’s health, especially when exposed to high amounts. Various metals such as mercury, copper, and lead can penetrate the well water and even the municipal tap water system, causing them to be heavily contaminated. If taken in excessive amounts, it can cause brain deformities and even high blood pressure.
- Nitrates: Nitrates are inorganic compounds that are commonly found in processed meat. However, there are also instances where it may be present in tap water. When exposed, a child may develop methemoglobinemia, a condition that results in an abnormal production of methemoglobin. When it happens, it causes the methemoglobin to replace the average hemoglobin count, causing the person to experience a lack of oxygen supply in the cell.
How to Tell if Bottled Water is Safe
Besides getting your water supply from tap water, distilled bottled water is an excellent way to mix your baby’s formula. But how can you tell if bottled water is safe to use as drinking water?
The Food and Drug Administration conducts a regulatory process that ensures the safety of every product in the market, including bottled water. It carefully reviews these products to ensure that it passes the EPA standards for treated tap water. Products such as low-fluoride bottled water and nursery water undergo a stringent review process before they go out to the market.
You can check the packaging and read the battle label to learn if bottled water is suitable for your baby. Besides distilled water, you can choose from low-fluoride bottled water and fluoridated water for your baby’s formula.
Different Ways to Filter Your Drinking Water
There are other types of water filtration products besides distilled water which is perfect for your baby’s formula. Let’s take a closer look at a few of them:
Water Filter Jug
A water filter jug is an efficient way to purify tap water and remove any solid particles mixed in with the municipal water system. However, it won’t be effective at eliminating pathogens such as Giardia. So, you’ll still need to consider boiling tap water if purified bottled water isn’t available.
Reverse Osmosis
Meanwhile, a reverse osmosis water filter should do the trick if you want to use something better. It utilizes a semi-permeable membrane that removes molecules, ions, and other larger particles from the tap water. It’s also effective at removing too much fluoride to prevent your child from developing fluorosis.
Water Filter Systems
Another one on the list is water filter systems. Same with RO, it also effectively addresses your worries about having too much fluoride in tap water, making it an excellent combination for your baby’s formula. When you use a water filter system, you no longer need to refill your water jug several times daily when mixing baby formula. You can even use it for cooking and drinking, too.
Fridge Water Filter
Last on the list is a fridge water filter. This system is often built-in with your appliance as part of its feature. It’s an efficient way to remove microbes and other harmful solid particles that may contaminate your infant’s baby formula.
Summary
Everything that your child consumes should be pure. Distilled water ensures that your child’s baby formula will be safe from having too much fluoride, shielding them from developing fluorosis in the long run. Distillation is one of the most effective water purification methods, especially when mixing baby formula. Unlike other methods, water distillation effectively removes all contaminants from the stream, making it the best water for baby formula.
I hope this article was helpful. Feel free to comment below if you have any questions!
