Observations on water supplementation in breastfed infants

A total of 378 infants, under six completed months, were evaluated at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, to investigate some aspects of water supplementation in breastfed infants. Data were recorded concerning water supplementation and age at introduction of supplementary water among others. Water supplementation accounted for 91.7% of partial breastfeeding up to one completed month compared with 70-76% from up to 2 completed months to up to 5 completed months or earlier. The postnatal period of up to one month completed month may possibly be considered as the critical period for water supplementation since after this period, water was introduced only in a small proportion of infants during the first six months. It is suggested that strategies which prevent water supplementation at this critical period may ultimately reduce the prevalence of water supplementation during the first six months and, therefore, increase the rates and duration of exclusive breastfeeding in the studied population.