Water is the basis of life for both an adult and a child. This is true, since without this fluid normal functioning is impossible. Water in the human body occupies approximately 65% of the total mass, and if this balance is not maintained, dehydration can occur. For a growing man, this situation can be very difficult.
Dehydration in a child
Scientifically, this condition is called dehydration. It occurs if the body does not receive the necessary rate of fluid or is not able to hold it. In childhood, the slightest lack of water is especially acute. Even if the baby's body loses only 2% of the fluid, it threatens with a disease. This is due to the fact that in newborns, the percentage of water in the body is 78%, and in children from one year old - 65%, while their metabolic processes are more intense. Also, older kids lead a particularly mobile life. The child still does not understand that he needs to drink water and does not recognize the body's signals, so adults should pay special attention to this issue and carefully monitor the drinking balance.
What causes dehydration?
In fact, there are various causes of dehydration. All kinds of health disorders lead to this. This may be one of those diseases that cause vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating, frequent and profuse urination - all that leads to the loss of water or prevents its flow. The baby may refuse to take any fluid due to sore throat. In addition, there may be internal problems. For example, a child has poor intestinal absorption. Also, overheating of a baby who is too warmly dressed can cause dehydration.
But still, the main reason that dehydration occurs more often than others is diarrhea and vomiting. They can be triggered by viral diseases or infection. These factors can affect severe dehydration in the baby. The younger the child, the greater the risk of infection with bacteria that cause diarrhea and its consequences. The reason is that the crumbs have not yet fully formed immunity, which fights against microbes.
Main symptoms
Depending on the intensity of the disease, dehydration may occur in different ways. Symptoms in children become noticeable after about a day or two and will depend on age. In children up to a year, the shade of the skin and the fontanel may sink. Also, they are likely to noticeably decrease weight. This is due to the fact that the liquid is lost not only through urine, but also through the skin and lungs, and during the illness, children often refuse to drink liquid and eat heavily. The main signs of dehydration are listed below.
- Lethargy.
- Rare urination, while the discharge has a strong smell, and the color is darker.
- Dry eyes and lack of tears.
- Cold fingers.
- Dry mouth.
- Rapid pulse and breathing.
- Annoyed, restless state.
The younger the baby, the more difficult it will be able to tolerate dehydration. Symptoms in children, even if insignificant, should immediately encourage parents to act in order to prevent the disease and the likelihood of complications.
Types of dehydration
Dehydration of the body in a child is of varying degrees, differs in intensity. It can also be acute or chronic. In the first case, the disease occurs against the background of another disease and manifests itself in physical ailments. The chronic form is acquired over time and is reflected in the perception and quality of learning. Apathy and weight loss are also noticeable.
Degree of disease
In medicine, this disease is divided into three degrees - severe, moderate and weak.
By complex signs and weighing the child, you can determine how severe dehydration is. Symptoms in children are also an indicator. The weak form is called compensated. Diagnosed with slight weight loss - up to 5% of the total mass. She is accompanied by a constant desire to drink, a slight dry mucous membranes. Rare cases of diarrhea and vomiting may also be its companions.
Moderate dehydration is called subcompensated. In this case, the child loses up to 10% of its mass. The baby begins to irritate, the skin becomes sagging, the mucous membranes become dry. There are no tears during crying, and the eyes appear sunken. At the same time, breathing changes, it becomes quicker, and the course of the disease is accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea.
Severe dehydration is called decompensated. Signs of the latter degree are perceptible weight loss (over 10%). The child becomes very lethargic, he has shortness of breath and a weak pulse. Tachycardia is present. The skin is dry, flabby to the touch. A sharp reduction in urination or complete absence. There is no chair. Cramps occur.
It is worth noting that water in the human body may be present, but the weight drops. This phenomenon, most likely, indicates the development of a child's dystrophy.
Diagnosis
An accurate diagnosis and the degree of the disease can only be done by a doctor. He compares previous symptoms, medical history and conducts an examination. If necessary, the baby can be hospitalized. Taken blood and urine tests allow us to estimate the amount of fluid that is present in the body, and the amount of lost trace elements.
Treatment
Having discovered even some signs, parents may not know what to do with dehydration of their crumbs. But it is worth remembering that it is impossible to postpone treatment, because it is worth taking measures immediately, since this is not the type of disease that can go away on its own.
First, invite the doctor to your home. Until help arrives, unsolder your child. The sooner you start water therapy, the sooner you can restore water balance. To do this, try to give the baby fluid often and in small portions. There are such solutions that fight this problem and compensate for the lack of electrolytes and water. For example, it could be a Rehydron. In addition to the solution, the crumbs are given non-carbonated quality mineral water, kissel and weak gulls. The main goal is to replenish not only the water, but also the salt balance, which has also been lost. To do this, you can prepare the broth (but do not use store cubes, they are too salty). You can also give juice. If the child has vomiting, he refuses to drink, let him try to take an ice cube or a slice of orange in his mouth.
Also try to get rid of the reason that dehydration has occurred. But if dehydration is severe, it is not advisable to carry out such treatment on your own, since more serious therapy is required here. Here it is necessary to immediately call a doctor and entrust the complex treatment to him, otherwise the consequences of dehydration can be severe.
After the water balance is restored, the baby will again become cheerful and active. He will disappear drowsiness and other related symptoms.
Possible complications
If a child has suffered severe dehydration, this may affect the activity of his body. The consequences of dehydration can manifest themselves not only in physical processes, but also in mental ones. Of course, a lot depends on the degree of the disease, but complications can cause problems in the following areas:
- Violation of the urinary tract and kidneys.
- Respiratory system diseases.
- Violation of the blood circulation and heart function.
- Diseases associated with the central nervous system (spinal cord or brain).
Many parents are comforted that all these complications may turn out to be temporary, they almost never develop into a chronic form. But this does not mean that you need to neglect the treatment of crumbs. If the baby’s brain in the first year of life as a result of dehydration for a long time cannot receive a balanced dose of liquid and salts, it will not be properly formed, and a chronic disease associated with the central nervous system will occur. Unfortunately, dehydration is one of the leading causes of child mortality worldwide.
Preventative measures
It is much easier to prevent a disease than to deal with its consequences. The most basic way of prevention is the regular provision of crumbs with full nutrition and drink. But it is known that at such an age, the infectious diseases that cause the disorder simply cannot be avoided. Therefore, adults should always monitor the baby in order to detect dehydration in time. Symptoms in children are easy to recognize even at the very beginning of the disease. Also, if a child begins vomiting or diarrhea, after the fifth time it is better to start giving
an electrolyte solution to prevent dehydration.