Baby almost dies from
water intake

TAMPA, Fla. (NBC) - No one ever told Jeri Moss, 23, that putting too much water in her baby's formula could kill him. She had used the money-stretching trick with her older 18-month-old child Yasmine with no problem.

On Tuesday, 5-month-old La'Damian Barton had a seizure and stopped breathing as his mother wheeled him into a Tampa, Fla. grocery store. Moss performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but the infant still was not breathing when he arrived at University Community Hospital.

After two days on a ventilator, the baby is improving and is expected to be released in a day or two. He was diagnosed with water intoxication and malnourishment. Moss agreed to share her story in hopes of warning other parents that water can kill.

She was trying to stretch the eight- to10 cans of formula she got each month through the Women, Infants and Children program, not harm her baby. However, Moss said she really needed about 15 cans but could not afford $16 to $18 for each.

"I'm really, really tight, and this is all I had," said Moss.

"This is a very serious situation, especially in thin economic times," said James Orlowski, chief of pediatric medicine at University Community Hospital.

He said infants on formula or breast milk should receive no additional water until they are about 10 months old.