Symptoms and Treatment for Dehydration in Children

Dehydration in childrenoccurs when the childs body lacks the proper amount of liquids to keep it hydrated. Dehydration in childrenis caused by an exccessive fluid loss that is brought on by vomiting, diarrhea, an inadequate fluid consumption, or any combination of these things.  Dehydration in children is more likely to occur as compared to dehydration in adults due to the fact that children tend to lose fluids at a faster rate. In many instances, dehydration in childrenis brought on from a viral or bacterial infection that causes fever, diahrrea, and vomiting. Dehydration can range anywhere from very mild to severe, resulting is hospitalization. The more severe the dehydration, the more signs the child will present with.

Symptoms Of Dehydration In Children

Often times, dehydration, especially mild, can be hard to detect in children. There are some signs that are more noticeable in dehydration in children.

A child who is less interactive then normal and seems to be more lethargic or sleepy may be dehydrated. However, those symptoms alone do not indicate dehydration. A child who has a dry mouth, cries without tears, has infrequent to no urination, may be dehydrated. Severe dehydration can be signaled by lethargy, sleepiness, and seizures. In infants, the soft spot in the front of the baby’s head. A higher or lower salt concentration then normal in the blood also indicated dehydration.

Treatment for dehydration of children

Prompt and efficient treatment is crucial for children who are suffering from dehydration. Treatment for dehydration is fluids and electrolytes. For infants, the best treatment is breast milk because it contains all of the fluids and electrolytes an infant needs. Oral electrolytes can be purchased in either powder or liquid form. These treatments work best if the child is given small sips every 10 to 15 minutes. After the first 10 minutes, the amount of fluid can be increased and given less frequently.

In cases of severe dehydration or in cases where the child is unable to keep fluids down, your doctor or pediatrician may recommend the administration of fluids intravenously.