This version was machine-translated from German and has not been medically reviewed. The authoritative version is the German version.
Fluid intake volumes (D-A-CH guide values)
Guideline values for beverages and total water intake by age, with classification of a daily amount
Guideline values by age (D-A-CH)
| Age | Beverages | From solid food | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to under 4 months | 620 ml | – | 680 ml |
| 4 to under 12 months | 400 ml | 500 ml | 1,000 ml |
| 1 to under 4 years | 820 ml | 350 ml | 1,300 ml |
| 4 to under 7 years | 940 ml | 480 ml | 1,600 ml |
| 7 to under 10 years | 970 ml | 600 ml | 1,800 ml |
| 10 to under 13 years | 1,170 ml | 710 ml | 2,150 ml |
| 13 to under 15 years | 1,330 ml | 810 ml | 2,450 ml |
| 15 to under 19 years | 1,530 ml | 920 ml | 2,800 ml |
The guideline values apply with needs-based nutrition and average living conditions. In heat, sport, fever, vomiting or diarrhea the requirement is higher.
Infant feeding on demand
Infant formula can be given on demand, like breast milk. The feeding volumes and numbers of meals stated on packaging are rough guides; the child's appetite determines the amount. From the start of complementary feeding, it also depends on the amount of complementary food.
Cow’s milk in the first year of life
Cow's milk as an ingredient in porridge at the earliest from the start of month of life 6, beginning with 100 ml per day and slowly increased to at most 200 ml per day in the first year of life – not as a beverage.
Total fluid 6 to 12 months
For infants aged 6 to 12 months, the Austrian complementary feeding recommendations give a total fluid intake of 800 to 1000 ml per day – from milk, porridge and water combined.
What children should drink
From the start of complementary feeding, tap water is the drink of choice – offered from a cup with the porridge meals. Unsweetened teas are possible; juices, diluted juices, and sweetened drinks do not belong in the bottle or in everyday life. A breastfed baby needs no additional water before complementary feeding.
How to tell that a child is drinking enough
An infant who gets enough gains weight, has regularly wet diapers and appears content; a toddler who drinks enough has pale urine. With fever, vomiting or diarrhea the requirement increases. Signs that a child has too little fluid are sunken eyes, a skin fold on the abdomen that recedes only slowly, marked drowsiness and no longer wanting to drink – then the child belongs in the practice the same day.
Guideline values describe what healthy children drink on average. Whether an individual child gets enough is shown by thriving and well-being.