Should you give young babies water during hot weather?

The hot weather can bring a whole host of problems when it comes to babies and young children.

Keeping them cool and shaded in the day is one thing, before you even start with what to dress them in for bed.

With the rising temperatures come rising concerns over whether they are getting enough fluid to keep hydrated in the heat.

Babies and infants are at particular risk of dehydration because they have a low body weight and are sensitive to even small amounts of fluid loss.

Read more: What to dress baby in for bed in the hot weather

But with contradicting information on the internet and differing opinions on what is right and wrong, it can be difficult to access the best advice.

According to the British Nutrition Foundation exclusively breast fed babies don’t require any additional water until they’ve started eating solid foods at around six months.

Bottle-fed babies may need some extra water in hot weather, but it's recommended to take advice from a health visitor first and more frequent formula feeding may also give them the added water they need.

If giving water to babies under six months, it should be tap water that has been freshly boiled then cooled, as it’s not sterile straight from the tap. Bottled water is not suitable for babies as the mineral content may be too high.

Kathy Crew, of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust's nurse partnership team, said: "For babies under six months, if you are fully breastfeeding your baby you don’t need to give them water as well as breast milk.

"They may want to breast feed more than usual in extremely hot, dry weather, but your baby can get all the liquids needed via breast milk.

"Formula fed babies also do not routinely need extra water. Some sources do suggest offering cooled