The benefits of water for the body, especially for children, are limitless. But the principle of “the more, the better” does not apply even to it. How much water should a child drink? How to do it correctly? How to recognize a water shortage in time? We will talk about this and much more.
Individual approach
Many parents wonder how much water a child needs to drink in the first days of life. Up to 5-6 months, the baby does not need it at all, because he receives water with his mother’s milk. With artificial feeding, there is also enough water from a bottle. If the baby has a fever, diarrhea has started, or there is a heat outside the window, the loss of fluid is necessarily compensated. To do this, the baby is given 50 ml of boiled water for 2-3 tsp. every 10-15 minutes during the day.
With age, the water needs of the growing body increase. Up to a year, children should drink 150-200 ml of liquid per day, including all drinks. The daily norm of liquid from one to three years is 700-800 ml, where water is allocated a little more than half. It is important for preschoolers to consume at least 1.5 liters of liquid, where the proportion of water is 700-1000 ml. And teenagers are supposed to have about 3 liters of liquid daily, 1.5 liters of which is water.
High-grade water
The quality of water for children plays an important role. It is best to give them bottled water without gases. The introduction to mineral water should be postponed until 3 years, as there is a risk of harming the kidneys. Therapeutic mineral water is prescribed only by a pediatrician.
Remember that the child can only drink water from an open bottle for 3 days. In the future, it should be boiled. Of course, tap water must also be boiled. To destroy the pathogenic bacteria, it takes 10-15 minutes. But in this state, the water becomes almost useless. So the best method of cleaning is household filters.
Not only the water should be correct, but also the mode of its consumption. Teach your baby to drink water on an empty stomach from an early age, no later than half an hour before meals and no earlier than an hour after.
Read between the lines
In the summer, you need to especially closely monitor the water balance of the child, especially the youngest. It is possible to understand that an infant wants to drink by its behavior and external changes. First of all, you should be alerted to frequent crying, nervousness, excessively dry skin and tongue, dark urine.
With older kids, you also need to be on your guard. The onset of dehydration is indicated by lethargy, cracks on the lips, viscous saliva, circles under the eyes.
Be vigilant: teenagers, most often girls, sometimes deliberately refuse water, taking dehydration for weight loss. This can lead to fatal consequences. If you suspect that your child is dehydrated, try to restore the level of fluid in the body as quickly as possible. Do this with the help of ordinary water and decoctions of dried fruits. As prescribed by a doctor, take an aqueous saline solution. Dilute 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of soda and salt in 1 liter of boiled water and give the child water throughout the day.
In special mode
It is important to understand that excess fluid in the child’s body is no less dangerous. It can wash out the vital protein for it. Excess water greatly overloads the kidneys and heart. This is fraught with the development of chronic diseases, especially if there are already problems with the work of these organs. Sometimes unquenchable thirst is a sign of the onset of diabetes.
What to do and how much water should children drink per day during their illness? Infants are recommended to be more often applied to the breast and, as already noted, give water for 2-3 tsp. Older children increase the daily rate of water by 20-30 %. It is noted that they drink water acidified with lemon juice much more readily. By the way, for food poisoning, which occurs more often in the summer, water with lemon is the first aid to the body. It stops vomiting with diarrhea and makes up for the loss of fluid. For prevention, you can prepare unsweetened lemonade for your child.
Treats in a glass
What should a child drink besides water? Starting from 4 months, doctors allow the introduction of herbal teas diluted 3-4 times from chamomile, linden or lemon balm into the diet. A little later, fresh juices from apples, apricots or pumpkins are added to them. They are diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1 and start with minimal portions of 1-2 tsp.
In the period from one to three years, it is the turn of cow’s milk and fermented milk drinks. They are easily absorbed by the child’s body and have a beneficial effect on the microflora. Homemade jelly made from fresh berries will also benefit, especially for children who are underweight. Compote of dried fruits will help with digestive problems.
If the child does not have allergies, after 3 years, offer him berry fruit drinks. Little by little, you can pamper him with cocoa, but not more than 1-2 times a week. Natural coffee drinks like chicory with condensed milk are also very popular with children. And for the body, this is a real gift.
There is no need to prove once again that water is the source of life and health. But in order for water to bring only benefits, you need to be able to handle it wisely. Especially for parents who care about the health of their children.