Rice water for babies is made by boiling rice in extra water, then straining off the starchy liquid. It’s a traditional first food in many cultures and has clinical support as a remedy for mild diarrhea in infants. Making it takes about 15 minutes, but there are important safety considerations around arsenic exposure and nutritional adequacy that every parent should know before serving it.
Step-by-Step Preparation
You only need two ingredients: rice and water. Use white rice rather than brown. Brown rice contains the bran (the outer layer of the grain), which holds higher levels of inorganic arsenic. White rice still contains some arsenic, but at lower concentrations, making it the safer choice for infants.
Here’s the process:
- Wash the rice thoroughly. Rinse about 2 tablespoons of white rice under running water several times until the water runs mostly clear. This removes surface starch and some contaminants.
- Boil with extra water. Add the washed rice to 2 to 2.5 cups of water in a pan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat.
- Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The water will turn cloudy and slightly thickened as starch releases from the rice.
- Strain and cool. Pour the contents through a fine strainer, collecting the milky liquid. Discard or eat the cooked rice yourself. Let the rice water cool to a safe, lukewarm temperature before offering it to your baby.
The result is a thin, starchy liquid with a mild flavor. It should flow easily from a spoon or cup. If it’s too thick, dilute it with a small amount of clean water.
When Babies Can Have Rice Water
Rice water is generally introduced after 6 months, once a baby has started solid foods. Before 6 months, breast milk or formula provides everything an infant needs, and introducing other liquids can interfere with nutrition and feeding patterns.
There’s an important distinction between rice water you make at home as an occasional food and commercial rice drinks sold in stores. The NHS advises that children under 5 should not be given rice drinks (the packaged kind sold as milk alternatives) because of arsenic levels in those products. Homemade rice water given in small, occasional amounts alongside a full diet of breast milk or formula is a different situation, but the arsenic concern still applies to all rice-based products. Keep servings small and infrequent.
Why It Helps With Diarrhea
Rice water has a long history as a home remedy for mild diarrhea in children, and clinical evidence backs this up. Research published in the BMJ found that rice water decreases stool output and has been used successfully in hospital pediatric settings. One study found it was more effective than the World Health Organization’s standard oral rehydration solution at reducing the number of stools per day in children with gastroenteritis.
The reason comes down to how the body handles different types of sugar. Standard rehydration drinks use simple glucose, which draws water into the intestine. Rice starch, by contrast, is made up of short chains of glucose that break apart slowly during digestion. This keeps the fluid in the intestine at a lower concentration, which actually helps the gut absorb more water rather than losing it. Research in the New England Journal of Medicine confirmed that rice-based solutions decreased stool output and promoted greater absorption of fluid and electrolytes compared to glucose-based alternatives.
That said, rice water alone does not contain enough sodium or potassium to fully replace what a baby loses during serious diarrhea. It works for mild cases, but if your baby has persistent vomiting, signs of dehydration (fewer wet diapers, no tears, sunken soft spot), or diarrhea lasting more than a day or two, they need proper medical rehydration.
What Rice Water Cannot Replace
Rice water is not a substitute for breast milk, formula, or any complete source of nutrition. It contains almost no protein, fat, or essential vitamins. A case report documented an 8-month-old boy who developed protein malnutrition and failure to thrive after his parents replaced milk with a rice-based drink. All symptoms resolved once appropriate feeding resumed, but the case illustrates a real danger: rice water looks like a nourishing liquid, but it’s nutritionally empty compared to what babies need for growth.
Think of rice water as a supplement or occasional offering, not a regular part of your baby’s diet. It can be useful during a bout of mild stomach upset, or as one of many foods introduced during weaning. It should never displace breast milk or formula feeds.
Arsenic and How to Minimize It
Rice absorbs inorganic arsenic from soil and water as it grows, and this is a particular concern for infants because of their small body size. The FDA has set an action level of 100 parts per billion for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereals, specifically because arsenic exposure is associated with neurodevelopmental effects in young children.
You can reduce arsenic content with a few practical steps. Washing the rice thoroughly before cooking helps. Using a higher ratio of water to rice (as you naturally do when making rice water) and then discarding the rice also helps, since some arsenic stays in the grain rather than transferring to the liquid. Choosing white rice over brown removes the bran layer where arsenic concentrates. Basmati rice grown in certain regions (like California, India, or Pakistan) tends to have lower arsenic levels than rice from the southern United States, though this varies by crop.
Occasional small servings of homemade rice water pose far less risk than daily consumption of rice-based products. Rotating grains in your baby’s diet, using oats, barley, or millet alongside rice, is a simple way to limit cumulative exposure.
Storage and Serving Tips
Freshly made rice water is best used the same day. If you need to store it, keep it in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator, where it stays usable for up to 24 hours for infant use. (General rice water can last longer in the fridge, but for a baby’s sensitive system, fresher is safer.) Reheat gently and test the temperature on the inside of your wrist before serving. Discard any leftovers your baby didn’t finish, as saliva introduced from feeding can promote bacterial growth.
Serve rice water in a small open cup or on a spoon rather than in a bottle. For babies over 6 months who are learning to drink from cups, this is good practice for developing that skill. Start with just a few teaspoons to see how your baby tolerates it before offering more.