$Unique_ID{PAR00053}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Medical Advice:  Dehydration}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Chasnoff, Ira J}
$Subject{Dehydration Infrequent urination Smaller urine amounts Sunken eyes
Drowsiness breathing irregularity Sunken soft spot mouth Dryness skin
resilience Loss electrolyte solutions diarrhea vomiting sweating diabetes
mellitus body fluid fluids water minerals salts}
$Log{}

Your Child:  A Medical Guide


Dehydration


     Quick Reference

     SYMPTOMS
     - Infrequent urination
     - Smaller amounts of urine than usual (except in a diabetic child)
     - Sunken eyes
     - Drowsiness
     - Rapid or slow breathing
     - Sunken soft spot on the top of an infant's head
     - Dryness in mouth
     - Loss of resilience of the skin

     HOME CARE
     - If there are any symptoms of dehydration, call your doctor.
     - If a child is vomiting, stop the vomiting first.  Do not give solid
       foods.  Give clear liquids.
     - If a child is losing fluids, give plenty of extra liquids.  Commercial
       electrolyte solutions (available from your pharmacist) are best.  Also
       give gelatin desserts (liquid or gelled), weak tea with sugar,
       carbonated drinks, and fruit juices.

     PRECAUTIONS
     - Do not give milk or milk products.
     - The younger the child, the more serious dehydration can be.
     - Dehydration in infants is especially serious.  Infants can become
       dehydrated as quickly as 12 to 24 hours after the start of diarrhea,
       vomiting, or breathing problems.
     - The amount of urine output is not a clue to dehydration in a diabetic
       child.
     - Common causes of dehydration include the following:  diarrhea,
       vomiting, excessive sweating, rapid breathing from an illness, diabetes
       mellitus.


     Dehydration is a serious loss of body fluids.  It occurs when the body is
losing more fluids than it is taking in.  When an excessive amount of body
fluid is lost, the water, minerals, and salts that are essential to health and
to life are lost as well.
     Several conditions may cause the body to lose excessive amounts of water,
minerals, and salts.  Diarrhea, vomiting, and excessive sweating are common
causes of dehydration.  Illnesses that increase the breathing rate (such as
bronchiolitis and asthma) may cause the child to lose water vapor from the
lungs.  Illnesses that cause excessive urination (such as diabetes) may also
cause dehydration.
     The smaller the child, the more quickly dehydration can develop.  In
young infants, the condition can become serious as rapidly as 12 to 24 hours
after the start of any cause of dehydration (such as diarrhea or vomiting).  A
child who is not losing extra fluids will rarely become dehydrated simply by
taking in fewer liquids.  Except in young infants and in children with
diabetes, the kidneys can compensate for a smaller intake of liquids.
However, a small intake of liquids in a child who is also losing fluids causes
dehydration to occur even more rapidly.

     SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

     Except in a child with diabetes, one sign of dehydration is a smaller
output of urine.  A young child who does not urinate for six to eight hours,
or an older child who does not urinate for ten to 12 hours, may be dehydrated.
Other signs of dehydration include sunken eyes, drowsiness, rapid or slow
breathing, and depression (sinking in) of the soft spot at the top of an
infant's head.  The membranes inside the mouth may feel dry when touched.  The
skin may feel less resilient than usual (for example, it does not easily
return to its original shape when pinched gently between the thumb and the
forefinger).

HOME CARE

     If a child shows any symptoms of dehydration, call your doctor.  If the
child is vomiting, stop the vomiting first.  With any condition that causes
fluid loss (including prolonged high fever), you should encourage your child
to drink extra fluids.  The best liquids to give a child with excessive fluid
loss are commercial electrolyte solutions (available from your pharmacist),
which supply necessary salts and sugar.  Other good liquids are gelatin
desserts (liquid or gelled), weak tea with sugar, fruit juices, and carbonated
drinks, such as ginger ale and colas.  Plain water is less helpful.  Milk
products should be avoided.

PRECAUTIONS

  -  Do not give milk or milk products to a child who is losing fluids.
  -  If symptoms of dehydration develop, contact your doctor.  The younger the
     child, the more urgent the situation.  Diarrhea in infants can be very
     serious.
  -  The amount of urine output is not an indication of dehydration in a
     diabetic child.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

     Your doctor will diagnose and treat the condition that is causing
dehydration.  Your child may be admitted to a hospital to be given intravenous
fluids and salts.  The child may be tested for the amounts of salts and
minerals in the body.

RELATED TOPICS:  Asthma; Bronchiolitis; Diabetes mellitus; Diarrhea in older
children; Diarrhea in young children; Fever; Vomiting