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With families on a tight budget, many are trying to stretch their dollar in any way they can. That's leading some parents to skimp on baby formula by adding more water to stretch it out a bit longer. But that puts infants at risk. When it comes to feeding your baby, diluting your baby formula, even just a small amount, can be dangerous sometimes even fatal. It's often an item you can't shop around for. It's expensive and if a mother isn't nursing, it's essential to help a baby grow and develop. “You're looking at anywhere from $15 to $20 per can, and if your child needs a specialty formula, it can be more expensive than that,” Dr. Mary Berg of Sanford Family Medicine said. Berg says that extra expense may lead cash-strapped parents to dilute their baby formula. Berg says it's a risk you shouldn't take. “By diluting the formula, you dilute those nutrients and you also dilute the electrolytes and change that balance,” Dr. Berg said. And in babies that can cause seizures and create problems with their brain. “You also dilute out the sugars and the nutrients which are important for development of the brain and in the future can cause problems with mental development, learning and other disabilities,” Dr. Berg said. The formula is specifically designed with the nutrients babies need. That's why Berg says it's critical parents stick to the instructions on the back on the can. “I think it's done more than we know because parents don't know how serious it can be,” Dr. Berg said. A Florida mother learned the consequences of diluting baby formula the hard way. Her baby had a seizure and stopped breathing. “Their kidneys are not developed to appropriately filter out that water like we can and the water can dilute the blood this diluting the salts and the potassium and the other important electrolytes,” Dr. Berg said. Berg says infants don't need any extra water until they're 10-months-old. If parents need help, programs like the Women, Infant and Children Program, also known as WIC, is available. Source: KELOLAND-TV |