There's no doubt that these are tough times economically. Parents everywhere are looking for any way to cut back on expenses. But there may be hidden dangers in trying to make adjustments to a baby's diet.

A Florida mom tried stretching her baby's formula by diluting it with more water than the instructions called for and it nearly proved fatal to her 5-month-old son. According to reports, the baby lost consciousness in the grocery store and was rushed to the hospital where he was diagnosed with water intoxication and placed on a ventilator. Later, he was also diagnosed with malnutrition, another result of having his formula diluted. By all accounts his mom was a good mother who loved and cared for her children. However, when hard times hit, she needed to try to cut costs where she could. Because formula is expensive and can be a big part of a family's food budget, that's one place where she thought, erroneously as it turned out, she could save a few dollars.

Dr. Stephen Combs, a pediatrician and president of Wellmont Physician Services, says breast is always best because there's very little room for errors, but it's not always practical or possible for a women to breastfeed, and that's why formula is a good alternative.

Dr. Combs says today's formulas come very close to being the nutritional equivalent of breast milk. However, if the formula is not diluted properly, that can cause serious problems. "Too much water upsets the electrolyte balance in the body and can cause seizures, but beyond that a child needs a certain amount of calories, as well as fat, protein and carbohydrates," he says. "Diluting the formula dilutes those nutrients as well. That's what leads to malnutrition."

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