What Bottled Water Is Safe for Babies?

Figuring out what type of bottled water to give to your baby can be a daunting task. The National Sanitation Foundation International, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control have all issued recommendations about the safety of drinking water.

Bottled Water Vs. Tap Water

• Many people believe that bottled water is safer than tap water, but this is not always the case. Bottled water is regulated by the FDA, and tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA regulations that govern tap water are stricter than the FDA regulations that govern bottled water. According to the National Resources Defense Council, tap water is subject to more rigorous and more frequent testing than bottled water. This means that bottled water is not always safer than tap water and could possibly be worse. The NRDC has called for changes to the federal regulations that cover bottled-water manufacturing. The agency has published the results of its extensive tests of bottled water on its website, a link to which can be found out at the end of this article.

Potential Health Risks from Bottled Water

• Bottled water can potentially harbor harmful bacteria or other contaminants that can cause serious health problems. Although the FDA has regulations aimed at preventing this, the internal quality-control issues of certain manufacturers can still lead to contaminated bottled water. Also, bottled water can contain high levels of fluoride. In infants, this could lead to fluorosis, a condition caused by too much exposure to fluoride during tooth formation. Fluorosis causes cosmetic changes to tooth enamel that can lead to white spots, pitting or staining. Many municipal tap water systems add fluoride to their water. And because some bottled water is just tap water from a different location, even bottled water can contain fluoride.

NSF International Recommendations about Quality

• According to NSF International, a not-for-profit public-health and safety organization, bottled-water quality can vary widely. While the FDA does require that bottled water not exceed maximum levels of lead or other contaminants, the FDA does not require that bottled-water manufacturers undergo inspections by independent agencies or have a third party test the water's quality. That means it is possible that some brands of bottled water can be worse for your baby than others--even if they have the same descriptions on the label. NSF International recommends that consumers buy bottled water only from manufacturers that utilize third-party inspections and quality testing. To find out this information, call the manufacturer directly.

FDA Recommendations about Contamination

• The FDA's recommendations focus on the problem of harmful bacteria in bottled water. To avoid giving unsafe water to your infant, the FDA makes the following recommendations. If bottled water is marketed for infants and says "sterile" on the label, it should meet the FDA's general requirements for commercial sterility. If the bottled water does not say "sterile" on the label, the FDA says that consumers should use its suggested procedure for sterilizing tap water before using the bottled water to mix formula. To do this, bring the water to a boil, allow it to boil for at least one minute and then let it cool. This will kill any harmful bacteria.

CDC Recommendations about Fluorosis

• The recommendations of the CDC focus on the problem of fluorosis. Because bottled-water manufacturers are not required to put fluoride information on labels, the CDC recommends that parents concerned about fluorosis contact bottled-water manufacturers directly for information about fluoride levels. The CDC also says that water labeled as deionized, distilled, purified, demineralized or produced through reverse osmosis is always low in fluoride.