Mum's warning after baby almost dies from drinking water
A mother has shared how she almost lost her newborn baby to water intoxication after the child drank water from the bath.
Katie Gorter, from Oregon in the United States, knew it was unsafe to give her 11-month-old child, Elly, more than a few sips of water.
But during bath time, Elly did something she had never done before.
“Yesterday she discovered she could drink the bath water,” Ms Gorter wrote on Facebook.
The new mother wasn’t concerned at first, however began to panic when Elly took a severe turn for the worse and started vomiting and struggling to breathe.
Elly was rushed to hospital on July 9 where it was discovered she had consumed so much water that it had compressed her lungs, putting her at serious risk.
She has since been treated for water intoxication and is on the mend, but her mother has issued a warning to parents in what she hopes will save them from the same terrifying experience.
“I just wanted to make a Public Service Announcement. Water intoxication is very real and can happen so easily. Please only offer babies 6-12 months no more than 2oz (60ml) of water in a 24 hour period,” she wrote in a post to Facebook.
She said she thought some parents didn’t take warnings seriously and didn’t restrict the amount of water their babies consumed.
“I just wanted to put this out there for those who don’t believe it matters and give their baby as much as they want.
“Breastmilk/formula is plenty! And just because baby is close to a year does not mean they can have more than 2oz (60ml). My daughter is a year (old) in three weeks and here we are.”
In an update to her post on July 10, Ms Gorter announced that Elly’s condition had improved significantly and was starting to return to her playful self.
Ms Gorter said Elly was fortunate not to have any water enter her lungs, which removed her risk of dry drowning.
Australian doctors advise mothers to limit their baby’s water intake up to 12 months of age, but allow them to drink water freely or up to 1 litre per day after the age of one.
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