Comments on: Health concerns re: drinking stagnant water

Question: Health concerns re: drinking stagnant water

Badmichelle — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:14:44 -0800

Mistakenly gave my son a sipppy cup with water that had been sitting out for a few weeks. Should I be worried?

On the way back from the park today, I gave my son an *old* sippy cup to drink out of (I poured fresh water into a new cup, but didn't realize that there was an old sippy cup in the stroller basket. I gave him the old one to drink from, and didn't realize the switch until we got home). It was just water, but I think it had been sitting there for about two weeks (and it has been hot out). Should I be worried about this? How worried? I took a sip myself to see -- it tasted like plasticy-water.

By: thirteenkiller

thirteenkiller — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:19:55 -0800

No, don't be worried.

By: headspace

headspace — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:22:06 -0800

It's just old, stale water. It was covered the whole time, and no one else had access to it, so don't worry.

By: jon_kill

jon_kill — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:22:58 -0800

In fact, do it more often so that he doesn't grow up with some sort of house of cards immune system.

By: poppo

poppo — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:37:59 -0800

My son picked up a sippy cup from the back of my car, with old juice in it, drank from it, and said "old", handing it upfront to me.

I took a look at it and said "oh shit". There was mold in there. I panicked, worried for a couple of hours, and nothing happened. That was about six months ago and he is still ok, though he does now say "oh shit"

By: teece

teece — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 11:46:59 -0800

I think if it was going to be unhealthy for him, it would have tasted bad (weeks would have been plenty long for a bacteria to really take over, if it was going to, and I'd guess you'd taste that).

I wouldn't sweat it much.

By: frogan

frogan — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:12:53 -0800

Nothing to worry about. And if something did happen, I'd be concerned about the water supply going into the house and/or how dishes get cleaned in the house, rather than the sippy cup that gets left out for two weeks.

By: Badmichelle

Badmichelle — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:49:15 -0800

Hey thanks for the responses! I am still worried (because it is my nature) but a little less so.

By: defcom1

defcom1 — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 13:24:05 -0800

Where did the water come from? If it's municipal water, it's got chlorine in it, which will inhibit growth of nasties for quite a while. Most bottled water also comes from municipal (chlorinated) sources, you will have to read the fine print on the label.

If he isn't sick yet, he'll be fine.

By: Badmichelle

Badmichelle — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 13:38:11 -0800

It was plain old tap water, filtered through a britta filter. And he seems absolutely fine at the moment. :)

By: Popular Ethics

Popular Ethics — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 14:09:45 -0800

Have some faith in your son's immune system. If you're worried now, what will you do when he starts eating dirt and flies ? :)

By: hatsix

hatsix — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:32:01 -0800

Yeah, the eating mud thing was when my parents finally realized that my immune system could take anything I threw at it (or I threw myself at... whichever was the case)