Effect of Water Supplementation of Full-term Newborns on Arrival of Milk in the Nursing Mother

Abstract

It has been suggested that water supplementation of breast-fed newborns may delay the arrival of true milk. A total of 136 healthy term neonates were divided into two groups. Seventy-eight nursed exclusively on demand, and 58 received in addition supplemental water ad lib. Mean time for arrival of milk in the unsupplemented group was 54.9 hours and in the supplemented group 56.6 hours. This difference was not significant, indicating that water supplementation to the normal term newborn does not affect or disrupt the establishment of lactation.

Age of introduction of first complementary feeding for infants: a systematic review

“…Infants age <4 mo Saleem 2010 [ 44 ] (RCT) Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo Sarker 2009 [ 45 ] (RCT) Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo. No EBF group Schutzman et al 1986 [ 46 ] (RCT) Newborn infants Simondon et al 1996 [ 47 ] (RCT) No EBF group Ziegler et al 2009 [ 48 ] (RCT) Non EBF Ahmed et al 1993 [ 49 ] Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo Armar-Klemesu et al 1991 [ 50 ] Age of introduction of solids non specified Arvas et al 2000 [ 51 ] Medicinal iron supplementation Baker et al 2004 [ 52 ] Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo Baird et al 2008 [ 53 ] Mixed feeding (formula + BM) Calvo et al 1992 [ 54 ] Age of introduction of solids was at 6 mo for both groups Castro et al 2009 [ 55 ] Mixed feeding (formula + BM), no data on postnatal birth wt and conditions Chantry et al 2007 [ 56 ] Non EBF (other foods introduced) Domellöf et al 2001 [ 57 ] Age of introduction of solids > 6 mo, medicinal iron supplementation Dube et al 2010 [ 58 ] No analysis on early vs late introduction of solids among the groups Durá Travé & Diaz Velaz 2002 [ 59 ] Early weaned group had mixed feeding (formula + BM) Eissa et al 1990 [ 60 ] Age of introduction of solids non specified Filipiak et al 2007 [ 61 ] Mixed feeding (formula + BM), no EBF group Forsyth et al 1993 [ 62 ] Age of introduction of solids < 4 mo Freeman et al 1998 [ ...…”

Effects of brief exposure to water, breast‐milk substitutes, or other liquids on the success and duration of breastfeeding: A systematic review

“…Of the 58 potentially relevant remaining trials identified and/or screened for retrieval, only one by Martin‐Calama et al 6 met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review (see Table I). Thus, the remaining 57 studies were excluded 7–63. Table II summarizes characteristics of the excluded trials, including the reasons for exclusion.…”

Practical Management of the Mother-Infant Nursing Couple

“…Evaluation of serial blood glucose levels in breastfed and bottle-fed infants from birth reported by Heck and Erenberg 65 demonstrated a significant number of bottle-fed infants with hypoglycemia, presumed to be a rebound phenomenon from dextrose and water feeding early in life. The supplementation with water did not influence the "coming-in" of mother' s milk, according to Schutzman et al 153 They did observe, however, that infants in the group being supplemented took very little water after nursing (less than 4 oz total in the first 3 days). No significant differences were found in serum bilirubins and weight loss between supplemented and unsupplemented breastfed infants in a study by Herrara.…”