Lifesaving Tips On Child Dehydration
A person is dehydrated when the water in his body is depleted and less that what the body requires. It results when babies take in not as much as fluid than he or she loses. Usually, they lose more fluid if their they experience a physiological disturbance like in the case of diarrhea, vomiting, and high grade fever. Staying too long outdoors during warm weather could also be a reason for loss of body water through perspiration.
Though dehydration is often mild and reversible when attended to right away, there are times when it can be fatal. If dehydration is ignored for quite a long time, this can potentially cause shock and multiple organ failure. Babies and infants are usually more prone to dehydration because most of the time it is not identified quick enough. Here are the signs and symptoms that you should look out for to know if your baby is dehydrated.
• Your child appears restless, irritable, tired, lethargic, or unconscious • Your baby's eyes are sunken (In some babies and infants, their eyes normally appear sunken. It is helpful to evaluate properly if the eyes are in their usual state or more sunken than usual.) • There are no tears when your baby cries. His eyes are dry. • Your baby 's lips, mouth and tongue are dry • When given water, your baby drinks eagerly (if moderately dehydrated), or drinks poorly (if severely dehydrated) • Your baby generates very little urine than normal or does not urinate for about six hours or more. • The color of your baby's urine is dark yellow, which means it is concentrated due to a decrease of water volume in the urine • Your baby's hands and feet feel cold and clammy • Your baby's pulses are faint • Your baby's skin goes back slowly when pinched
Once you suspect that your child is moderately dehydrated, talk to a pediatrician right away . But while still at home , be sure to begin giving your baby a liquid drink rich with electrolyte (e.g. pedialyte, or infalyte) that are particularly formulated to help recover water and salts lost from the body. Do not give your baby Gatorade or other adult drinks because although they contain electrolytes, their sugar content is too much for babies and children.
If you suppose that your baby is seriously dehydrated or can not tolerate rehydration through drinking, bring your child immediately to the hospital. An intravenous access will be necessary to administer the rehydrating solution and treat the dehydration faster .
Dehydration is truly a reversible condition if prompt aid is initiated. It should not be a cause of death , especially infants and children who are still helpless and dependent on their primary caregivers. Therefore, parents or whoever is taking care of these little ones should be aware about dehydration.
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