Parents are on trial after their daughter died of water intoxication

The expenses that follow a newborn baby are high. The cost of all the diapers, formula and other baby supplies that add up to a large sum.

A couple from Georgia were too overwhelmed by the expenses. An effort to cheapen the expenses has gone terribly wrong, and lead to the death of their baby daughter.

According to a Daily Mail article, Lauren Fristid (the mother), was not producing enough breast milk. The proper way to go about it is to use formula as supplement, but Herbrert Landrell (the father) and her decided to dilute the milk with water.

The parents are now facing a murder lawsuit. The young one died of water intoxication. Ingesting too much water is incredibly dangerous for children under age one.

If your baby is under the age of one, it is extremely dangerous for it to ingest too much water. According to a report by the St. Louis Children’s Hospital, ingesting too much water results in diluted sodium levels, which would otherwise be normal. This then can cause damage, lead to a seizure, or even death. An additional statement from the same report:

Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid healthy babies need. If a mother feels her baby needs to take additional water, it should be limited to two to three ounces at a time and should be offered only after the baby has satisfied his hunger with breast feeding or formula.

If you are a family in need – there are programs like WIC that can provide you with free formula. Lack of awareness can lead to unfortunate and catastrophic results. Let this be a lesson to other new parents around the world and consult with doctors before making decisions that are relating to the baby’s diet and health, even if it seems as plain as water, because if we’ve learned something from this tragic incident, is that you can never be too careful when it comes to your baby’s health.