Dehydration in infants:
What is dehydration?
Dehydration is defined as a decrease in the baby's body water and electrolytes (salts), which can occur slowly or suddenly, depending on the child's age and how fluid is lost.
Young children and infants are more likely to become dehydrated because their bodies are smaller.
What are the causes of dehydration?
The most common causes of dehydration are:
- Low fluid intake.
- Loss of increased fluids due to causes such as:
- Diarrhea (liquid stools 3 or more times a day).
- Frequent vomiting.
Dehydration can become serious, especially in infants and young children with frequent diarrhea caused by an intestinal infection.
The germs that cause these infections are: viruses (they are the most frequent), bacteria and parasites.
Note:
Infections can be avoided with good handwashing for the baby and the family, continuous cleaning of the utensils used by the baby, proper handling and washing of food, and proper treatment of drinking water.
What are the signs and symptoms of dehydration?
ALERT: If your child has a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting, watch for signs of dehydration , which include the following:
- Irritability or drowsiness.
- Sticky or dry tongue or lips.
- Few or no tears when crying
- Hollow eyes.
- Dry, wrinkled and cold skin.
- Decreased urine and dark color.
How is dehydration treated?
The most important thing is to know how to recognize the initial signs and symptoms of dehydration and react immediately if you detect them in your child and consult your nearest medical care center in a timely manner.
Treatment consists of replacing lost body fluids with an oral rehydration solution (oral fluid). Oral fluids sold over the counter in the Colombian market contain a balanced amount of water, sugars and salts that the baby needs.
The administration of the serum is carried out according to the type of dehydration as follows:
1- Mild dehydration:
the general appearance of the baby is restless, his urine has decreased, the tongue and lips look sticky and the skin feels dry.
In this case, the way to administer the serum is as follows: 50 ml per kilogram of the baby's body weight over 4 hours, this means that if the child weighs 8 kg, the goal would be to administer 400 ml (approximately 13 oz). ) of oral serum in 4 hours, divided into equal amounts every 5 or 10 minutes (approximately 2 tablespoons every 5 minutes).
2- Moderate dehydration:
the baby's general appearance is irritable, he urinates very little, the tongue and lips look dry, the skin is wrinkled and cold, the eyes look sunken, and the baby cries without tears.
In this case, the way to administer the serum is as follows: 100 ml per kilogram of the baby's body weight over 4 hours, this means that if the child weighs 8 kg, the goal would be to administer 800 ml (26.5 approximately ounces) of oral solution in 4 hours, divided into equal amounts every 5 minutes.
3- Severe dehydration:
the baby's general appearance is bad, he feels very sick, sleepy and does not react to stimuli.
In this case, the administration of oral serum is not enough. Take the child to the hospital immediately for urgent medical care.
Grades:
- It is not recommended to administer water alone or homemade serums, especially in young children and babies, since these do not contain enough salts and sugars that the baby needs.
- Do not give your baby commercially available adult energy drinks.
- If your baby is breastfeeding, continue to feed your baby breast milk or infant formula as long as the baby tolerates it well and does not vomit. If you do not tolerate the food, consult immediately for emergencies.
What to do after the child has improved?
Once the baby is better hydrated, you should get him to eat normally again.
This can happen around 4 to 6 hours after the last episode of vomiting. Offer the child the usual foods, breast milk or infant formula.
