Does your child drink enough fluids?
Healthy hydration levels in children are a cause for concern as more than 32 cases per day involving children and young people showing signs of dehydration were treated in NHS hospitals in England during 2012-13.
This is nearly 12,000 cases involving children and young people being diagnosed with symptoms of dehydration – either as the primary diagnosis being treated, or as a condition complicating another diagnosis. The statistics from the Health and Social Care information Centre (HSCIC) highlight the prevalence of the issue which is often associated with other health conditions.
Dr Emma Derbyshire, Senior Lecturer in Nutritional Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University and advisor to the Natural Hydration Council says:
“These figures show a real issue as children are often at a greater risk of dehydration - they need more water than adults in relation to body weight and their bodies don’t always recognise the signs of dehydration. Like elderly people, young people’s ‘thirst mechanism’ isn’t always reliable.
“Dehydration often goes hand in hand with other medical illness and these figures show just how common this problem is. It’s particularly important for children and young people to be kept hydrated, both to help avoid illness but to help them recover.
“Depending on age, children need to consume between 6-8 glasses of fluids per day to stay well hydrated.”
Dehydration is a lack of fluid in the body and is often caused by sweating, vomiting or diarrhoea – and can have a negative impact on the body’s ability to function effectively. Signs of dehydration include:
- Increased heart rate
- Reduced ability to regulate body temperature
- Headaches and,
- Nausea
Studies have shown that even mild dehydration – just 1% of body weight loss – can make it difficult for children to concentrate and perform physical tasks.
Conditions commonly associated with dehydration range from sunburn, diarrhoea, kidney stones, muscle cramps and fever.
Tagged in children's health Hydration