Should baby drink Coke or go thirsty?

[FoundDoveInaSoaplessPlace]

We are travelling in SE Asia with a baby and toddler.
Yesterday our planned journey of a 2 hour drive and 30 minute ferry took a total of nine hours. Because of the road delays ( road works and further on a bad accident) we missed the ferry and had to get into a small local boat.
It was hot and humid all day but we got through it ok until the final leg on the boat. Our 12 mo baby got very thirsty and the only drink left was a new bottle of Diet Coke. Baby got extremely agitated and our friend poured some into her bottle as I was holding onto our toddler.

DH who was holding her refused to give it to her and said she would have to wait for clean water. She screamed for 15 minutes until she wore herself out and fell asleep. It was dark and the sea was choppy so I couldn't stand up to give it to her.

DH is extremely anti sugar but AIBU to think that he could have put his principles aside on this one occasion?

How old?

it says 12 months old

Sorry just saw 12 months. I'd probably have given her a v small amount just to help stop her mouth getting dry. How long did she go without water?

It's not just the sugar in Coke the caffeine would be a bigger concern to me.

Coke/Diet Coke would not have quenched her thirst. In fact, it could have made it worse.

There's no sugar in a Diet Coke
I would have given her a small amount t relieve her thirst.

Coke/Diet Coke would not have quenched her thirst. In fact, it could have made it worse.

I don't really believe that actually. It may not be particularly thirst quenching in comparison to plain water or weak juice/squash but it's still better than nothing. The main component is still water and I certainly wouldn't have allowed her to dehydrate rather than give her Coke.

I agree the biggest problem would have been the caffeine. Of course the aspartame is bad but as an occasional one-off it wouldn't do any real harm.

I don't really believe that actually

It doesn't really matter if you believe it. It's still true, unfortunately. A quick Google will give you plenty of information.

You sound very unprepared for travelling with a small child in difficult circumstances.
Yes, your baby won't die from having coke, diet or otherwise. She could become seriously il and suffer long-term damage from being significantly dehydrated. Your DH was being a dangerous fool and you facilitated that.
Travel with the basics for survival, be adaptable and flexible when that fails or stick to the UK.

So if you were on a boat and really struggling with heat and extreme thirst would you refuse a nice cold Coke on that basis? Because I would refuse a mouthful of salt, or a mouthful of dry claggy wholefood peanut butter or a mouthful of a dozens of other things that instinctively felt know would make my mouth feel drier and my thirst feel worse, but I am not really thinking that it would occur to me to turn down a few swigs of any cool, water based
beverage.

Coke/Diet Coke would not have quenched her thirst. In fact, it could have made it worse.

No, that's a myth. Coke is mostly water. It probably isn't quite as hydration as pure water as the caffeine will have a very slight diuretic effect, but it certainly wouldn't make her lose more water than she took in from it.

(I lived off Coke for lots of my pregnancy because I couldn't keep water down!)

Under those circumstances, a little diet coke would be better than the alternatives (dehydration or deadly salt water). I hope you can take plenty of water for her and yourselves for the return journey.

The whole "adventure" sounds pretty awful tbh.

In those circumstances diet coke would have been fine - it's over 98% water

But it sounds like a horrendous day and running out of water must have been quite frightening.

Also I really do think that if drinking Coke carbonated soda drinks really did have the effect of making you feel more thirsty rather than less, (when compared to drinking nothing) companies like Coca Cola would have gone out of business long, long ago.

"Coke/Diet Coke would not have quenched her thirst. In fact, it could have made it worse."

That really is rubbish -coke is mainly water!

Of course you should have given it to her- awful to let her scream herself into exhaustion. And if sugar was his problem,nthere's no sugar in diet coke anyway.

I would give it in these circumstances.

But Diet Coke - Bleurgh!!!

I'm no medic but surely ANY liquid going through your kidneys is better than nothing?

[.]

On reflection

Hmm

At 12 months I would have given it to her. I think lemonade would have been better if you could get it . I guess you will be carrying emergency juice supplies from now on.

Oh my dear lord, seriously! I can't abide Diet Coke but if there was no access to any other liquid I'd drink it, dehydration is no joke and if your H won't prioritise your child's health, you should.

I would have given it to her.

Thirst is an awful sensation and it must have felt like an eternity to her. She's got no concept of waiting for such a long time.

Your dh was vu imo. It's not heroin, one drink doesn't mean that's all she'll drink forever more fgs.

A quick Google will give you plenty of information.

A 'quick google' on Coke/Doet Coke usually brings up a lot of myths, scaremongering and misinformation in my experience.

Yes, "information" is a very broad term..........