Is My Kid Dehydrated
By Melissa Hodges RN
·
05/28/2019
Dehydration and kids: What you need to know
While standing on the sidelines cheering my eldest on at his soccer game is enough to get me reaching for my water bottle, my kindergartener with the flushed face needs a little reminding to hydrate. As temperatures soar it becomes especially important to make sure our children are hydrated – dehydration and heat stroke are all too common in the region and in the emergency department. And children are more prone to dehydration and heat stroke than adults.
Your kids are more susceptible to heat than you are!
As kids have a smaller mass-to-surface-area ratio, they can lose fluid more quickly than adults and become dehydrated more rapidly. Children also have a higher metabolic rate, so their bodies use more water, too. Add to that their kidneys do not conserve water as well as an adult’s and kids often may not drink or eat when they are not feeling well, and you have a recipe for a dehydration disaster! Luckily dehydration is easily preventable. Given the average temperatures here in the desert, we need to be aware year round and teach our children how to prevent dehydration.
To encourage my 5 year old to make a habit of hydrating, I follow two pieces of advice:
Remember: be a good role model -drink sips of water often. Throw a slice of fruit in your child’s water, or a silly straw, or perhaps fun colored ice cube shapes – anything that will encourage constant sipping.
The advice below is not a substitute for seeing a physician.
Is my child dehydrated?
- Je, mtoto anaonekana kuwa mvivu?
- Wakati wa kulia, kuna machozi machache au hakuna?
- Je, kuna malalamiko kuhusu kinywa kavu?
- Je, mtoto ana hasira zaidi, ana hasira au mwenye fujo kuliko kawaida?
- Je, mkojo ni mweusi kuliko kawaida?
- Ikiwa mtoto ni mtoto mchanga, je, kukojoa mara kwa mara (chini ya diapers sita za mvua kwa siku)?
- Je, mtoto amevimbiwa?*
- Je, ngozi ya mtoto ni kavu sana na haina elasticity yake ya kawaida? Labda hata kukunjamana?
- Je, macho yanaonekana kuzama?
- Ikiwa mtoto wako ni mtoto mchanga je, matangazo laini (fontanel) yamezama?
*Wakati mwingine mtoto wako anaweza kukosa maji mwilini kwa sababu ya kuhara. Usisahau kutibu upungufu wa maji mwilini.
Mei
Nifanye nini ikiwa mtoto wangu anaonekana kukosa maji mwilini?
Kwa watoto wakubwa zaidi ya 1 na chini ya miaka 11:
- Ikiwa mtoto wako amepungukiwa na maji mwilini, tumia suluhisho la kurejesha maji mwilini kwa mdomo, kama vile Pedialyte. Ikiwa mtoto wako anakula chakula, maji ya kawaida yanaweza kutumika kuchukua nafasi ya maji yaliyopotea. Lakini ikiwa mtoto hakula, maji ya kawaida hayatoi elektroliti muhimu, kwa hivyo suluhisho la kurejesha maji mwilini kwa mdomo linahitajika.
- Epuka soda, vinywaji vyenye kafeini au gelatin, ambazo hazipunguzi upungufu wa maji mwilini na zinaweza kufanya dalili kuwa mbaya zaidi.
- Hakikisha mtoto wako anakunywa kiasi kidogo, mara kwa mara.
- Kurejesha maji mwilini kunaweza kuchukua masaa machache, kwa hivyo mweke mtoto wako katika eneo baridi, lenye kivuli na kunywa maji mara kwa mara
- Ruhusu mtoto wako kunywa maji mengi kama anavyotaka. Mhimize mtoto wako kunywa maji ya ziada au kunyonya pops za barafu zenye ladha, kama vile Popsicles. Watoto wenye umri wa miaka 4 hadi 10 wanapaswa kunywa angalau glasi sita hadi 10 za vimiminika ili kuchukua nafasi ya maji yaliyopotea.
- Piga daktari wako ikiwa dalili haziboresha au ikiwa zinazidi kuwa mbaya
Ninawezaje kumzuia mtoto wangu kukosa maji mwilini?
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
- Sisitiza kwa watoto wako kuchukua mapumziko mengi ili kunywa maji wanapocheza nje, haswa ikiwa wanacheza michezo au wanafanya mazoezi ya nguvu ya mwili. Labda weka kipima muda kama ukumbusho. Pia, hydrate kabla, wakati na baada ya wakati wa joto.
- Kaa ndani ya nyumba
- Sote tunahusu kuwatoa watoto nje na kufanya mazoezi ya mwili, LAKINI wakati joto ni kubwa, epuka kutumia muda nje. Katika majira ya joto ya Tucson hii inamaanisha kukaa ndani ya nyumba wakati wowote baada ya 9 asubuhi hadi mapema jioni.
- Pendekezo letu: amka mapema kucheza nje, pumzika alasiri na kisha ujitokeze jioni.
- Kamwe usimwache mtoto kwenye gari lililoegeshwa wakati wowote, hata kwa dakika moja
- Hata kama madirisha yamefunguliwa, joto linaweza kuongezeka hadi joto la kushangaza kwa dakika.
- Weka nyepesi na uvae kofia
- Acha watoto wavae nguo nyepesi, zisizofaa wanapokuwa nje. Vitambaa vinavyoweza kupumua kama pamba ni bora zaidi,
- Kaa baridi msimu huu wa joto,
Kaa baridi msimu huu wa joto,
Melissa
Ushauri huu haubadilishi ule wa mtaalamu wa matibabu. Ikiwa una wasiwasi kwamba wewe au watoto wako wanaweza kuwa na kiharusi cha joto au upungufu wa maji mwilini wa wastani hadi mkali, tafadhali tafuta ushauri wa matibabu kibinafsi.
