When can babies have water? What the AAP and CDC say

The American Academy of Pediatrics says babies younger than 6 months do not need water, and that small amounts of water can be offered from around 6 months. This post summarizes what the AAP and the CDC say about water for babies, as of October 2026, and adds no advice of its own.

The sources are five American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) pages on healthychildren.org, its recommended drinks for young children, Choose Water for Healthy Hydration, starting solid foods, preparing formula with water and moving from bottle to cup, plus the CDC's Foods and Drinks to Encourage for infants and toddlers.

Before 6 months

The AAP's answer for the first 6 months is breast milk or formula, and no added water.

The AAP's formula preparation page says babies in the first 6 months after birth do not need water or other liquids such as juices in addition to formula or breast milk, unless a pediatrician specifically advises otherwise. Its Choose Water page says infants under 6 months old should only be drinking breast milk or formula, and that additional water is not recommended at this age.

The starting solids page puts it the same way: healthy babies do not need extra water, because breast milk, formula, or both provide all the fluids they need.

The Choose Water page adds one instruction for worried parents: if you are concerned your infant is not getting enough to drink, call your pediatrician immediately.

Water and formula

Water goes into formula only as the label directs, according to the AAP.

The AAP's formula preparation page says to use water to prepare concentrated liquid and powder formula only as directed, and not to add any water to ready-to-feed formula. It says formula diluted with too much water can cause serious health and development problems, and to always mix formula as directed by the manufacturer unless you have been given changed instructions for an infant with special health needs.

From around 6 months

Both the AAP and the CDC describe water from about 6 months as a small daily amount alongside breast milk or formula.

• The AAP's recommended drinks page. The drinks page says that around 6 months you can start offering a little bit of water, 4 to 8 oz a day (0.5 to 1 cup a day), in an open, sippy, or strawed cup. It says this helps develop cup drinking skills and familiarity with water, and that the water is unlikely to replace much breast milk or formula at this point.
• The AAP's starting solids page. The starting solids page says it is OK to offer a little water when you begin solid foods, in an open, sippy or strawed cup, and to limit water to no more than 1 cup (8 ounces) each day. It also says a small amount of water may be needed in very hot weather.
• The AAP's Choose Water page. The Choose Water page says babies need only about 4 to 8 ounces a day until they are a year old, because the rest of their liquids come from breast milk or formula.
• The CDC. The CDC's Foods and Drinks to Encourage lists water, 4 to 8 ounces a day, among the drinks you can offer a child between 6 and 12 months old.

These figures describe what the sources recommend for babies generally. Your pediatrician can say what fits your baby.

Which cup

The AAP connects a baby's first water with a baby's first cup.

Its bottle to cup page says the AAP recommends offering a cup when your child starts eating solid foods, usually around 6 months, and that a sippy cup with a spouted lid, a cup and straw, or an open cup are all options. It suggests starting with the breast milk or formula your child already drinks, then adding plain water at mealtimes as they get the hang of it. It says it is healthiest for children to drink from an open cup by about 2 years of age.

After the first birthday

The AAP gives two sets of figures for toddlers, and they measure different things.

The recommended drinks page suggests water of 8 to 32 oz a day (1 to 4 cups) for children 12 to 24 months, and 8 to 40 oz a day (1 to 5 cups) for children 2 to 5 years. The Choose Water page says children ages 1 to 3 need about 4 cups of fluids per day, including water or milk.

The first figure is water alone. The second is all fluids, milk included. Neither page combines them, and a pediatrician is the person to ask how they apply to a given child. For what the sources say about milk after 12 months, see our summary of the toddler milk guidance.

How current each source is

The AAP's recommended drinks page was last updated October 3, 2023, and says its recommendations are drawn from a Healthy Eating Research report supported by the AAP and other groups. The Choose Water page was last updated July 26, 2024. The starting solids page was last updated June 23, 2026. The formula preparation page was last updated February 25, 2026. The bottle to cup page was last updated July 3, 2023. The CDC page is dated April 1, 2026.

Common questions

Can babies have juice instead of water?

Not before 12 months, according to the AAP. Its starting solids page says babies younger than 12 months should not be given juice, and that from 12 months up to 3 years, give only 100% fruit juice, no more than 4 ounces a day, in a cup rather than a bottle. The juice limits for older toddlers are in what toddlers can drink.

Can I give my baby water in hot weather?

The AAP's starting solids page says a small amount of water may be needed in very hot weather, in its guidance for babies who have begun solid foods. For babies under 6 months, the AAP's formula page says no water unless a pediatrician specifically advises it, so the pediatrician is the one to ask.

Is flavored or sweetened water OK?

The AAP's Choose Water page says no sugar-sweetened beverages for children less than 2 years of age, and names sweetened water among them. The AAP's recommended drinks page calls water and plain milk the best-choice beverages.

Does this replace my pediatrician's advice?

No. The AAP's pages route the exceptions, such as a baby with special health needs or a worry that a baby is not drinking enough, to the pediatrician. For the wider picture of feeding in the first years, see our summary of the Dietary Guidelines for infants and toddlers.

The short version

The AAP says babies under 6 months get all their fluids from breast milk or formula and do not need water. From around 6 months, the AAP and the CDC describe a small amount of water, 4 to 8 ounces a day, offered in a cup alongside breast milk or formula, and your pediatrician can say what fits your baby.