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Dehydration is a serious problem that consists of excessive loss of body fluids, whether through sweat, vomiting or diarrhea. When this loss is not controlled, it can prevent the body’s functions from functioning normally, so it is extremely important to visualize the symptoms of dehydration. It is a problem that can affect all age groups, but which presents a greater risk for children, especially newborns and infants. Dehydration develops when the body loses a very large amount of water and insufficient replacement does not occur through fluid intake. This condition is classified as mild, moderate and severe and should be treated immediately, as severe dehydration can lead to death.
The main reasons that can lead to symptoms of dehydration are fever, excessive sweating caused by a health problem, physical effort or even with excessive heat, vomiting and diarrhea and also in the case of diabetic people who urinate more often and drink enough water.
Problems with baby dehydration also begin during pregnancy. It is common for pregnant women to experience dehydration, first because they drink a very low amount of water and second because they urinate several times and do not make up for this lack. This condition can lead to problems such as decreased amniotic fluid and hospitalization for control is necessary, at risk of premature birth and fetal distress. Symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, severe pain in the head and chapped lips are obvious signs.
Blood pressure problems during pregnancy can also lead to symptoms of dehydration. Nausea in the first trimester can also be responsible for a great loss of liquid, which must be supplied through healthy drinks such as water, fruit juice and coconut water . The main symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration are excessive thirst, dry mouth, dry skin , absence of sweat and tears, in addition to fatigue and sunken eyes. In more severe cases, the patient may experience loss of consciousness, amnesia, seizures and multiple organ failure worsening, resulting in death.
Infant Dehydration How to Avoid and Treat
As previously mentioned, the greatest risk range for this problem is children, since infantile dehydration can act quickly and severely in the child’s body if not treated quickly. Thousands of children die annually due to lack of care and even prevention, where habits are so simple and should be part of the routine of every human being.
In the case of children and babies the main reason that leads to child dehydration is diarrhea and uncontrolled vomiting. Normally babies and young children often present diarrhea several times during childhood, due to the birth of teeth, reaction of vaccines and even viral and bacterial infections. This is due to their immunity, as it is still very low mainly in the heat, where viruses occur more frequently.
When not treated properly, the loss of fluid too quickly can lead to dehydration. For this, it is recommended to ingest liquid in the form of water, juice, soups and to eat less fatty and lighter foods to restore the child’s health quickly.
Other options to help hydrate children and babies are homemade serum that can be made at home or found through flavored solutions in pharmacies and drugstores, facilitating acceptance. Coconut water, teas, and mother’s milk are the only treatments for child dehydration.
To prevent the most aggravating situation from occurring, children should be offered water several times a day, especially on warmer days, thus avoiding dehydration. Up to 6 months of age, breast milk meets the baby’s total needs in both food and water to hydrate, with no need for supplementation. If necessary, take your child to an emergency room for intravenous hydration, the serum in the vein has an immediate effect and is essential in cases of acute viral infection that may affect children.
See also: High Cholesterol in Children – The Villain of Childhood
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
