Baby dehydration: fragile and particularly exposed infants
Dehydration is a phenomenon that occurs when the body is in lack of water and mineral salts. Indeed, water is vital for the human body, since it composes an adult’s body at about 60 The need for water is even more important for very young children, since in a newborn baby, water accounts for up to 80 % of its weight, reaching around 65 % after a year.
When temperatures are rising, or when baby is sick (diarrhea, vomiting), dehydration can quickly occur: if not taken care of, water loss can be 10 % of the weight of the baby, representing a major health risk.
Is your baby dehydrated? Signs that don’t cheat
To react quickly, it is essential to be able to recognize signs of dehydration in a baby.
Among the signs that should alert you:
Your baby looks lethargic and sleeps a lot
His mouth is dry and his lips are particularly dry
He cries little with no tears
He has a light complexion and eyes surrounded
He lost weight (3 to 5 %)
He presents a sinking of the fontanelles
He has a fever
All these symptoms need to alert you and generate a quick reaction. Beware, if your baby is in a time when they often vomit or are subject to diarrhea, these circumstances can lead to dehydration of the baby, especially if they are less than 6 months old.
How to act in case of serious dehydration?
We talk about serious dehydration when all the symptoms mentioned above are seen, and when baby has significant weight loss.
In case of serious dehydration, you should consult a doctor, see to take the infant to the emergency room if his condition is of concern. Otherwise, in the case of moderate dehydration, the best thing is to hydrate your child using SRO bags (Oral rehydration solute). They can be donated between the tetes, or replace the milk powder of the bottle.
At the same time, carefully monitor the baby’s condition: absorbed liquids, urine, the number of saddles and vomiting if there is, and if you have any doubts, weigh it regularly.
What to do to prevent your child’s dehydration?
To prevent baby dehydration, you can do a few simple gestures. If you breastfeed your child, offer them their breastfeeding regularly. If he’s in the bottle, offer him enough bottles to get hydrated.
In case of heat, watch your baby. If it sweats, refresh it with a wet laundry or a soft mist. If necessary, change it to give it clean, light and fresh clothes. Also be aware of steep temperatures, especially with air conditioning that can cut off the desire to drink in the little ones, despite a state of dehydration.
If you’re going out and the sun is there, avoid exposing baby directly to the sun and take the precautions of rigour: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and give them a drink regularly.