Water for kids and expecting mothers: what to check on the label

In short: for everyday drinking, children and pregnant women are usually given table water with low mineralisation (up to 1 g/L) and modest sodium, most often still rather than sparkling. Medicinal-table and medicinal waters are not drunk casually in these cases, the routine is something to agree with a doctor. Check the figures on the label of the specific batch, because the composition of natural water varies.

What to check on the label if a child is drinking the water

Four lines decide it. The type of water: you want table water, because medicinal-table and medicinal waters are not given to children or pregnant women just like that. Mineralisation, up to 1 g/L and ideally a few hundred mg/L: the Thai standard for water in sealed containers allows no more than 500 mg/L. Sodium: the less of it, the easier it is to drink that water all day, and under EU rules water with less than 20 mg/L of sodium is suitable for a low-salt diet. And the bottling date, with the ring on the cap still intact.

• Type of water: look for the word "table", not "medicinal"
• Mineralisation (TDS): aim for up to 1 g/L for everyday drinking
• Sodium: the less of it, the easier it is to drink this water all day long
• Bottling date and an intact cap, which is easy to spot on imported bottles

Sparkling or still

Young children are usually offered still water: a large volume goes down more easily and nothing bloats the tummy. If all you have at home is sparkling, pour it into an open jug for 20 to 30 minutes and some of the bubbles will leave on their own. For pregnant women it is simpler to go by how you feel: with heartburn or a heavy stomach, the fizz usually gets in the way. There is no need to boil mineral water for this, because heating makes part of the salts settle out and the taste gets worse.

• Young children are usually offered still water, as a large volume is easier to drink
• Sparkling water can be left standing open, and some of the bubbles will go
• If the fizz feels uncomfortable, simply take still water

How much water does a child need in the heat?

There is no single figure for children: the volume depends on age, weight and how much the child runs around. In Phuket they sweat more than they do back home, so always carry a bottle and offer small sips often. A clear guide is the colour of the urine: pale yellow is fine, dark means it is time to drink. In the heat, plain table water works better than juice, since sugar does not deal with thirst. Ask your paediatrician about the right amount for your particular child.

• In Phuket children sweat more than they do at home, so always carry a bottle
• Go by the colour of the urine: pale yellow is normal, dark means it is time to drink
• In the heat give a child plain table water rather than juice

When you need a doctor, not an article

A pregnancy with swelling, raised blood pressure or a prescribed salt restriction is a case where drinking routine and the choice of water are discussed with a doctor, not with a shop. Babies under one year, first solid foods and making up formula are questions for a paediatrician: which water to use depends on the age and on the formula itself. In both cases, medicinal-table water such as Essentuki No. 4 is not something to start drinking on your own initiative. Everything above is general information and manufacturers' data, not a prescription.

• A pregnancy with swelling, blood pressure issues or a salt restriction: drinking routine only with a doctor
• Babies under one year, first solid foods and making up formula: a question for a paediatrician
• Everything above is general information and manufacturers' data, not a doctor's prescription

Sources

• Thai Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 462 (2025): mineralisation of water in sealed containers
• Directive 2009/54/EC, Annex III: the low-sodium claim
• GOST R 54316-2020: types of mineral water and their composition
• WHO: sodium reduction