Dehydration in your child

It’s a well-known fact that two-thirds of the human body consists of water. What many people don’t know, however, is that we constantly lose water as we sweat, urinate, breathe and defecate. Children suffer from dehydration and in order to maintain healthy fluid levels and the right balance of salts, minerals and sugars, you have to compensate for this ongoing depletion by making sure your child consumes liquids and food that contain water.

 Dehydration explained

Dehydration occurs when the body loses more water than it takes in and its consequences can range from minor discomfort to life-threatening medical emergencies. As we are heading into the sunny summer months, you need to watch that your child doesn’t complain about exhaustion, headaches and dizziness, as it could be a sign of dehydration-a much underestimated and neglected medical condition. Babies and infants are especially susceptible to dehydration because their small body weight makes them extra sensitive even to relatively small losses of fluid. Parents should look out for a sunken fontanelle (the soft spot on the top of baby’s head), drowsiness, a lack of tears when crying and fewer wet nappies than usual.

More signs and symptoms

How do you know that your child is dehydrated. Look out for these tell-tale signs:

• cracked lips and a sticky, dry mouth; 
• intense thirst;
• sluggishness and irritability;
• having to urinate less frequently;
• concentrated urine with a strong odour and a dark colour;
• constipation;
• headache; and
• nausea

If the situation is severe, your child as well as you may also experience: 

• blurred vision;
• increased heart beat and heart palpitations;
• rapid breathing;
• a swollen tongue and difficulty swallowing;
• a lack of sweating and painful urination;
• sunken eyes and dry, shrivelled, inelastic skin; as well as
• fever, delirium and unconsciousness.

 Causes

There are a number of reasons why children become dehydrated. One of the most common is an inadequate intake of fluids to replenish the water lost through sweating. Fever as a result of illness or infection can lead to dehydration, as can sicknesses that involve persistent vomiting and diarrhea. In fact, diarrhea is the most frequent reason for excessive fluid loss and dehydration, preventing the large intestine from absorbing water from food and resulting in millions of deaths worldwide every year, particularly among children in the developing world.

Treatment

While many instances of dehydration are not particularly dangerous, severe cases can result in life-threatening conditions that require immediate medical attention. Among the potential medical complications are heat exhaustion, heatstroke, swelling of the brain (cerebral edema), kidney failure, seizures, shock as a result of low blood volume, coma and death. Dehydrated babies should not be given plain water since this may further dilute already low levels of electrolytes and minerals in their bodies. It’s better to administer an oral dehydration solution specially formulated for children instead. These solutions contain the appropriate concentrations of salts, sugars and potassium to re-establish a healthy balance in the bodily fluids. Consult your pharmacist for help in choosing the right product. In cases of severe dehydration you must seek medical help without delay.