Diet & Nutrition - NDI Foundation

Often a doctor or Registered Dietician will recommend a low sodium diet for children with NDI. You can look in Nutrition Guidelines to learn more about low sodium diets for children. Look for answers to some commonly-asked questions about diet and nutrition.

How do you get a baby to drink when he or she doesn't want to?

Author: Robertson, Gary

If the thirst mechanism is normal, there is no need to force a baby (or anyone else) to drink more than he or she wants. They will always drink as much as they need to replace urinary losses provided they have unrestricted access to water at all times.

What is the importance of maintaining a low salt/low protein diet?

Author: Robertson, Gary

By reducing the amount of salt and urea the kidneys need to excrete (the so-called solute “load”), this diet also reduces the amount of urine the kidneys must excrete to carry the salt and urea.

What is the proper diet to maintain?

Author: Robertson, Gary

The diet should be as low in salt as the patient can tolerate without losing appetite or developing symptoms of volume depletion (i.e. dizziness when standing). In adults, protein intake should also be reduced to the minimal daily requirement. In children, a reduction in protein intake may also help the diabetes insipidus, but the restriction and, therefore, the benefits are less because more protein is needed for normal growth.

The Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus Foundation (NDIF) is dedicated to informing and helping the NDI community. The authors of the information archived on the NDIF website, and the archivists, cannot be held responsible for any damage which may result from using the information on this site without concurrence of your medical doctor. Consult your personal physician for your individual medical needs.