When diluted, it poses a hidden danger for babies.
When money's tight, moms try anything to make ends meet. But this nearly cost Jeri Moss the life of her 5-month-old son La'Damian.
La'Damian's father had been out of work for months, so Jeri tried to make do with feeding her son eight to 10 cans of formula a month when he needed 15. She added water to the formula to do so. But this triggered a near-fatal effect in La'Damian. Check out the video from Today:
"Sadly, this is not a new story," says momlogic pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson. "When budgets are tight, parents trying to do the best for their children may think about diluting formula. The problem is that baby kidneys don't know how to handle free water -- or the extra water that's being added. The baby's body doesn't get rid of the extra water. Rather, the water stays in the bloodstream and dilutes out some of its most important components. This can ultimately be life-threatening."
Dr. Cara says this story is a good reminder that parents need to be educated about how to take care of their children when they are on a budget -- where corners can be cut and where they cannot. "Most parents who dilute formula have no idea that they could cause their child to become seriously ill, or worse," she explains. "It is important to spread this story so that other parents do not make the same mistake that this one did."
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