Dehydration

I found out last night that my stepson (who has just gone to live with his mother) is in hospital and on a drip due to dehydration. I think Mic was feeling the freedom of not having me on his back over drinking lots of water during hot weather and stuck to drinking soft and milk drinks. I have suffered dehydration and it isn't nice and can hit you suddenly if you ignore the early signs. He is going to fine, his mother has everything under control and he understands more so now the importance of drinking water.  

Mic never told his Mum that he wasn't well, he didn't tell her that he was being sick and had the runs and at the start of it all, he looked fine. It wasn't until the later stages, fever and diarrhoea that it was visible, by this time his temp was 39.6 and he couldn't keep even a sip of water down. This could have been prevented. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to blame Mic's Mum, dehydration in children happens a lot and it isn't just because of neglect. That's why I thought I would post this little bit of information, for awareness and as a reminder of how important it is to encourage your children to drink water....  

We have all heard someone say No to a drink if a child is not thirsty. Fact is you are feeling thirsty, you are already mildly dehydrated. Drink enough water so that you don't become thirsty. A more reliable indicator is the colour of urine, light coloured urine indicates good hydration. Anything darker is a sign of dehydration or the start of...   

It is suggested that we should drink eight glasses of water a day, this is only a suggestion though and there are other factors to consider, such as weather, age, health and so on... It is best to always keep water on you and drink it regularly.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding increase your fluid intake and if you begin to feel unwell, start drinking extra water. Don't just wait for other signs, stay well-hydrated... 

It is also important to teach your children that coke, orange juice and milk drinks are nice but they still need to give their body water. We water our lawns and plants, we give our animals water and people need the same to grow healthy and strong.   Children forget to drink they can get so caught up in their playing that they just forget to ask or tell you that they are thirsty. If your child becomes or begins to get peaked and cranky towards afternoon, it could be because they are dehydrated.   

Signs of Dehydration: 

Crankiness

Headaches

Aches in the joints and weariness

Thirst

Fatigue

Dry mouth

Fewer than six wet nappies a day for infants and toddlers little urination

The fontanel (soft spot) in infants may appear sunken

No tears

Weakness of muscles

Headaches and  light-headedness

confusion and sleepiness

Rapid heartbeat

Fever

Facts:

Severe dehydration can kill a baby or child quickly...   A person can lose over 10 cups of water a day from just sweating, breathing, going to the toilet; typical mundane routines of life. Serious problems can arise when you drink less than what your body needs...   Water makes up for all body fluids (blood and digestive juices) and it helps absorb and transport nutrients from food...   As little as 1 to 2 % water loss of your body weight can impact the ability to function....