Key takeaways: Under 6 months: breast milk or formula only, no water. From 6 to 12 months: small amounts of water (about 4 to 8 ounces a day) in a cup with meals. No juice, cow’s milk as a drink, or sweetened drinks before 12 months.
What babies drink matters as much as what they eat. Here’s what national experts recommend.
Birth to 6 Months
Breast milk or infant formula only. Babies don’t need water, juice, or any other drink. Giving water to young babies can dilute sodium levels in the blood and cause seizures, and it fills them up without nutrition.
6 to 12 Months
- Breast milk or formula remains the main drink.
- Water: small amounts, about 4 to 8 ounces a day total, offered in a cup with meals. This helps babies learn to drink from a cup and get used to the taste of water.
- No juice, even 100 percent juice.
- No cow’s milk or plant milks as a drink.
- No sugar-sweetened drinks, sodas, sports drinks, or flavored milks.
- No caffeinated drinks.
After 12 Months
- Whole milk: about 16 to 24 ounces a day (2 to 3 cups), unless your doctor recommends otherwise.
- Water: to satisfy thirst.
- Juice: not needed; if offered, limit to no more than 4 ounces a day of 100 percent juice for children 1 to 3, and serve it in a cup with a meal.
Why a Cup?
Introducing a cup around 6 months:
- Builds oral motor skills.
- Makes weaning from the bottle easier later.
- May reduce the risk of tooth decay compared with long-term bottle use.
Open Cups vs. Straw Cups vs. Sippy Cups
- Open cup: a small, light cup with a little water. Hold it to your baby’s lips and let them sip. Expect spills.
- Straw cup: many babies learn quickly. Try pinching the straw with water trapped inside and releasing a little into your baby’s mouth.
- Sippy cups with hard spouts: fine for travel, but they don’t build skills as well as open or straw cups.
Teaching Cup Drinking
- Start with small amounts of water during meals.
- Let your baby practice holding the cup with help.
- Model drinking from a cup yourself.
- Expect spills; use a bib and splat mat.
Hot Weather
Babies under 6 months should get extra breast milk or formula, not water, in hot weather. After 6 months, small sips of water are fine.
Call your baby’s doctor if your baby: shows signs of dehydration (fewer wet diapers, dry mouth, no tears, sunken soft spot), or has a seizure (call 911).
The Bottom Line
Breast milk or formula only for the first 6 months. Then add small sips of water from a cup. Skip juice, sweetened drinks, and cow’s milk as a drink until after 12 months.
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Sources
- Healthy Eating Research. Healthy beverage consumption in early childhood: recommendations from key national health and nutrition organizations. 2019. https://healthyeatingresearch.org
- Heyman MB, Abrams SA; Section on Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition; Committee on Nutrition. Fruit juice in infants, children, and adolescents: current recommendations. Pediatrics. 2017;139(6):e20170967.
- US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, Chapter 2: Infants and Toddlers. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Policy on early childhood caries (ECC): consequences and preventive strategies. Latest revision.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Water and juice for babies. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.
