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Infant DehydrationGuard from this deadly form of pediatric dehydrationInfant dehydration is simply the loss of water and minerals in a child between birth and one year old that is not sufficiently replaced.
However, unlike symptoms of dehydration in adults, dehydration in children could lead to permanent health problems, even death, very quickly. It is more important for a baby to avoid dehydration than for an adult because children have precious little water stored, in reserve, in case of dehydration. Also, children are much more dependent on their bodies functioning smoothly or they will not develop fully. In fact, a larger percentage of their weight is water than in older children and adults. Adults are 70% water, while infants are 80% water. It seems that nature's way of protecting infants from the deadly symptoms of dehydration is to assure that they are better hydrated to start with. Again, be very alert about dehydration in young children because it could develop very quickly and have devastating health consequences. This page discusses dehydration signs, causes, prevention and treatment. It also relates crib death and sudden infant death syndrome to dehydration and discusses when you can introduce water to an infant and offers a home made rehydration solution for dealing with infant dehydration.
Signs of dehydration in child
*Decreased urine production: Suffering from dehydration, a child may produce 3 or fewer wet diapers in 24 hours or go 6 hours without a wet diaper.*No tears *Dryness of skin, mouth, toungue *Watery stools *Fever *Decreased appetite *Vomiting *Dark, strong urine *Tiredness *Sleepiness *Irritability More serious signs of dehydration in a baby include: *Sunken eyes *Cold hands and feet *Dizziness *Grayish skin *Sunken soft spot on the head
Dehydration in children and crib death or SIDSCrib death and sudden infant death syndrome are responsible for about 10,000 deaths before the age of one years old.Why they occur are not known. However, Dr. Batmanghelidj suggests that crib death and SIDS occur because of dehydration. Dehydration constricts the bronchiales, and overheating worsens the effect in an asthma-like attack. Milk may further increase histamine production. The water in milk may only be sufficient to digest the milk. Then while the baby is sleeping, it loses a lot of water from breathing. Of course it's small size means it doesn't have much water to start with. So it is this series of events that may combine to effect what we term crib death. Ask your pediatrician if introducing water into your baby's diet between 2 - 6 months is ok. That is when infant dehydration, leading to unexplained deaths, are most likely to occur. Explain what your concern is. The strategy would be to offer teaspoons of water balanced with formula or breast milk before and after water intake. You might also liquefy formula a little more by adding only 80% of powder you are directed to.
Causes of dehydration in young children*Fever*Overheating *Diarrhea *Vomiting *Refusal to drink
Preventing dehydration in infants
*Offer fluids, especially on warm days and when ill*Make certain baby is not oversweating or overheating *When older than 4 months old, offer 4 ounces of water daily, spaced apart, increasing as child ages *If refusing to drink, it may be a sign of sore throat. Consult with your doctor *Moderate to serious dehydration, go to emergency room immediately. May need IV. *Moderate dehydration - consult doctor *Mild infant dehydration could be managed with infant rehydration solution like Pedialyte. Do not offer adult rehydration drinks like Gatorade. Following is a home made pedialyte recipe that is easy to make, fresher, very economical and healthier than commercial variety. Pedialyte solution to counter dehydration in baby: 1 quart of safe, healthy water (click on navigation bar "Water Filters" for recommendations on water filters.) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 3 tbls sugar If your baby is not drinking, offer a tsp every minute. Water may not be best because your child requires electrlytes to balance minerals and help hold in water. Also, avoid cow's milk, salty broths, sodas, juices and gelatins. The available water in them is not sufficient to hydrate your baby. Finally, problems of contaminants in water may be more pressing for your infant than for us adults. Click on nav bar "Contamination" and "Water Filters" for more information on the importance of healthy water for your baby. Please share this information on infant dehydration with other parents.
Toddler dehydration - 1 to 5 years of age Child dehydration - 5 to 13 years of age Teen dehydration - 13 to 19 years of age
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