Giving water to your baby might seem harmless but you really shouldn't do it, according to health experts.

For adults and older children the importance of drinking sufficient water is regularly stressed.

But it's different for babies; indeed a child may live for one year without drinking any water.

Katie Zeratsky, a dietitian at the Mayo Clinic told Buzzfeed , up until the age of one, explains: "They get all of their fluid needs through human milk or infant formula.

Breastfeeding provides all your baby's nutrients and fluids

"Even on a hot day they can get all of their hydration needs through human milk or formula."

And not only is giving an infant water unnecessary, it can also be harmful and in severe cases, fatal.

Breast milk, or formula, contains all the nutrients babies need: carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Why is giving them water dangerous?

Woman breastfeeding her baby
Woman breastfeeding her baby

Parents are advised against giving babies water because of the breastmilk and formula contain the nutrients they need, such as protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fat.

By filling up on water, they miss out on the vital nutrition components they need to grow.

For this reason, it's important to mix formula correctly.

And babies grow rapidly, meaning their needs, energy-wise, are much higher then ours. Water cannot fulfil these needs, though it will fill up your baby.

A version of this story first appeared in The Mirror .