The loss of water in the body is usually identified with vomiting and diarrhea, while we also lose water with breathing, urination or sweat secretion. When your baby is thirsty, you know he or she is at risk of dehydration, but there are times when your baby avoids drinking. This often happens with fever or vomiting.
Signs of dehydration in a child whose weight does not exceed 20 kg become visible at the loss of 400 ml of water, which corresponds to 2% of body weight. Initially, dehydration does not make itself felt, followed by increased thirst. Even before the water shortage reaches 4%, there are e.g. trouble speaking, dizziness, weakness and loss of skin elasticity. Vomiting or diarrhea in an infant up to 6 months of age causes dehydration to progress quickly, so call XNUMX immediately.
Alarming signals
Symptoms of dehydration in a child include more than just increased thirst:
- the color of the child’s urine becomes dark yellow,
- the child does not pee as often as usual and the urine is scanty,
- there is crying without tears and whining,
- a toddler becomes lethargic and slow to play, or perversely – he becomes hyperactive,
- there is a loss of body weight,
- the child’s lips are chapped and the tongue is unnaturally dry,
- dryness of the mucous membranes is noticeable,
- the skin pinched on the tummy is dry enough to take the form of a fold that slowly disappears,
- in infants, the crown becomes sunken.
Stop dehydration!
Better to prevent than to cure. You can quickly calculate the daily portion of water that your little one should consume according to a simple scheme:
- for every kilogram of the first ten there should be 100 ml of fluids,
- each kilogram of the second tenth of the child’s weight needs 50 ml of water,
- when the weight of the child exceeds 20 kg, each additional kilogram of administration requires 20 ml of water.
For example: the daily water requirement of a child weighing 21 kg is 1520 ml.
Do not give your child sugary carbonated drinks. If you have a juicer, you can prepare vitamin and mineral-rich, sugar-free fruit and vegetable juices yourself. Nectars are also recommended (choose those without preservatives, which owe their color and taste to natural ingredients) and syrups diluted in water. In case of diarrhea and vomiting, give your child 1-2 teaspoons of water or carrot cream soup, once every 5-10 minutes. If your child is vomiting, fluids should be given cold to help suppress the gag reflex.
Time to visit the doctor!
If you notice signs of dehydration in your child, take them to the doctor right away. A hospital stay may be unavoidable. Depending on the degree of dehydration, instead of hospitalization, the doctor may recommend giving the child rehydration fluid, which will provide the mineral lost by the child. You can also buy them on your own initiative in case of diarrhea or vomiting. They are available in fruit flavors and do not require a prescription.