Water Has a Major Impact on Our Children's Development and Health!
Doctors, dietitians and sports coaches agree that the foundations of a healthy life are laid in childhood. They also agree on the importance of drinking enough water! Water is therefore extremely important to our children's development and health. Although every parent's concern for their child's health is beyond question, we can say that particular attention is needed when it comes to water intake. Since drinking habits develop in childhood, we should teach children to drink water from an early age so they can grow healthily and remain healthy adults. We particularly aim to raise parents' awareness of children's water consumption, because reports about their drinking habits are far from encouraging.
For example, according to the Turkey Nutrition and Health Survey, children consume 45% less water than the fluid amount recommended by experts. Drinking less water than the body needs has serious negative consequences for children. Their physical and mental development is adversely affected, as they lose more fluid than adults.
In a striking statement at a conference on children's fluid intake, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Vural of the Department of Paediatrics at Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine explained that 48% of the fluids children consume are unfortunately not water. Instead, they turn to fizzy and sugary drinks to quench their thirst. Yet, as he also explained, water losses of 1%–2% negatively affect physical and mental performance, especially in pre-adolescent children. Increasing water intake supports visual attention and memory and prevents the risk of childhood obesity. Water performs vital tasks such as carrying nutrients and oxygen to organs, regulating body temperature and metabolism, removing toxins and fighting disease. Parents' responsibility is to ensure children drink enough healthy water.
If we want to leave our children a healthy future, we can teach them to drink enough healthy water.
How much water should children drink each day? As with adults, their needs vary according to age, sex, weight and height. However, every child needs a certain minimum amount. In general, they are even recommended to drink twice as much water as adults.
Average recommended water intake for ages 0–18:
Ages 1–3: 1.3 litres (about 5 glasses)
Ages 4–8: 1.4 litres (about 5–6 glasses)
Ages 9–13: Girls, 2.1 litres (about 8 glasses)
Boys, 2.4 litres (about 9 glasses)
Ages 14–18: Girls, 2.3 litres (about 9 glasses)
Boys, 3.3 litres (about 13 glasses)
How can we tell how much water our children drink? How often a child goes to the toilet gives us an indication. Going every two hours may suggest adequate water intake. It is easier to check with babies: if a baby soils their nappy 7 times a day, we can understand that they are consuming enough water.
We should set an example to help children drink enough water. Our own water consumption is a determining factor in their drinking habits. You can read our article to find out whether you are drinking enough:
What do we mean by healthy water? Microorganisms, biotoxins and toxic pollutants in water can cause many illnesses. Cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and hepatitis A are just a few. We need to make sure the water children drink is clean and healthy. We can tell them not to drink from outdoor fountains, unreliable sources or PET bottles whose filling and storage conditions are unknown, and give them a reusable water bottle instead. At home, using a purifier rather than packaged water stored under unknown conditions will also help us drink healthy water. With advanced technology and one hundred and fifty years of experience, A. O. Smith continues working through all its products for human health and the future of water technology. Visit our page for information about A. O. Smith products.
Like mothers and fathers, we at A. O. Smith work for healthier days and a healthier future for our children.
