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QUINCY, IL -- These tough economic times may call for desperate measures.

That's just what one Florida mother and student did...got desperate.  She was stuggling to come up with cash to continue to buy her 5-month old son baby formula.  She thought watering it down would make it last longer.  But that decision almost cost her son's life. 

Her baby stopped breathing...he was diagnosed with water intoxication.  Money may run tight, leaving families without options to survive these days, but you should never risk your child's health to get ahead. Dr. Temotea Torre-Hilotin is a Pediatrician at Quincy Medical Group. She says it's never a good idea for parents to water down baby formula. She says those formulas are made in a certain way that provides nutrition your baby needs. She says watering down formula is dangerous, and has negative effects.

"Number one, would be, they don't get adequate nutrition. Remember, a lot of them, up to 4 months of age, this is their only source of nutrition. So you're like dehydrating them, or starving them in a way," said Dr. Hilotin.

Diluting baby formulas can also cause what's called water intoxication. That means the baby is getting more water than he or she needs. That in a sense is like your baby drowning in too much water. This can cause the baby's brain to swell, they can become very fussy and irritable because of this. In some cases, babies can go into a coma, and possibly die.

Dr. Torre-Hilotin says if you can't afford formula there are other options. If your baby is 4 months old, make the transition to solid foods, it's cheaper. She says there's a variety of baby formula.  There are different brands your baby needs, that will save you money.  Lastly, use mother nature...

"There's a very good choice of breast feeding. I think that's the best milk for babies, because there's no mixing involved, you can't go wrong, and if you eat well, you're actually providing nutrition," Hilotin says.