Dehydration can kill your child!

Dehydration is one of the most common conditions, that affect infants and toddlers. It often occurs as a result of loss of body fluids through vomiting, fever or diarrhoea. Babies may get dehydrated quickly when they lose a lot of water and salts. If not hospitalized immediately, dehydration can cause serious complications and even lead to death.

What causes dehydration?

Dehydration is mainly caused by Rotavirus. If the baby cannot take up meals through his system, he will vomit and lose fluids.

Diarrhoea may be caused by different types of germs. Occasionally, bacteria such as salmonella can also cause diarrhoea. The baby may develop gastroenteritis (diarrhoea and vomiting). In this case, lots of fluids are lost.

Fever can also cause dehydration. The baby’s temperature rises making water to evaporate through the skin in the form of sweat.

How can dehydration be treated?

The most usual way of treating dehydration, is by giving oral re-hydration formulas to the baby. Excess loss of water can be put back to normal through equal mixtures of water, sugar and salt. Other choices such as juices and soft drinks which are sugary and contain unequal mixtures of both water and salt should not be given to the baby.

Severely dehydrated babies may need to be treated in hospitals, where an oral vaccine is administered against Rotavirus. Antibiotics would not help in treating the viral infection, but may help in treating bacterial infection.

The importance of regular breastfeeding

Breastfeeding provides the best nutrients for the baby, and if done occasionally together with baby formulas- can re-hydrate the baby. Inadequate and exclusive breastfeeding, has been associated with life threatening complications of hypernatraemic dehydration (severe case of dehydration).

Signs

Lack of urine; long periods (over six hours) with no wet diaper, eventually passing dark urine with strong smell

Indications of heavy thirst

Baby tension and fuss; anxious look

Dry and sticky lips and mouth

Sunken eyes

Pale skin with no elasticity

Fast breathing

Lethargic or dizzy look; inactivity

Cold limbs

Finally, if a baby loses consciousness, this needs emergency measures.

Avoiding dehydration

Germs that cause diarrhoea, can pass from the mother to the child – or from one child to another. Before handling the baby, ensure that hands are clean. Avail an antiseptic at a nearby sink for strangers, who may want to handle the baby. It is also vital to disinfect the toddler’s toys and other playing items.

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