Dehydration in babies results from the absence of that much fluid, essential for your baby. Babies are more prone to dehydration due to an increase in the elimination of fluids through vomiting or diarrhoea, fever or sweating. Let’s study the signs to confirm if your baby is dehydrated.
Signs and symptoms to confirm are your baby is dehydrated:
- Elevation in thirst levels
- High irritability
- The absence of tears while crying
- Dark colour urine or decrease in urine output
- Dryness in the skin and no elasticity
- Dry lips and skin
- Cold hands and feet
- Sunken eyes
Serious alerts
Fever
When your baby is suffering from fever, try providing your baby with a high liquid diet. If the condition is serious, consult a doctor for a fast and better recovery.
Overheating
Serve your little one with more fluids than usual during hot summers. They are more prone to dehydration, therefore, need special attention.
Diarrhoea
Suppose your baby suffers from intestinal disorders leading to excessive loss of fluids by vomiting and diarrhoea. So, try adding more fluids to their diet. But kids younger than six months need a consultation from a physician before any remedy.
Vomiting
Intestinal diseases can lead to vomiting. Therefore, if your baby is sensitive and unable to maintain her hydration, she will suffer from dehydration.
Unable to take drinks in
Sometimes sore throat may occur, which causes a painful situation for a baby, and your baby may refuse to take in anything. Therefore, this situation may confirm that the baby is dehydrated.
Prevention
- Hydration
Help your little one stay hydrated. If your baby is younger than six months, bottle feeding or breastfeeding your baby may help keep up with hydration. Whereas, if your baby is suffering from vomiting, it’s advisable to feed it at minor intervals of two hours to avoid dehydration.
- Rehydration therapy
Moreover, you need to treat your baby with oral rehydration therapy. Provide the rehydrating solution in small sips after certain regular intervals to your baby. It is rich in salt, sugar, and other nutrients, which help maintain your baby’s body’s electrolyte and fluid balance. The markets are flooding with various brands, so ask your doctor before providing any to your baby.
- Avoid soft drinks
Avoid juice and soft drinks or sodas in the case of babies as it can harm their teeth and health. Furthermore, consult your doctor before trying anything on babies, especially those under six months old. If your baby is more than six months old, you can help her with small sips of water.
- Maintain a regular diet
Foods help provide hydration to your body. Therefore, do not disturb your baby’s regular diet and prevent any problematic food to digest.
- Avoid extreme temperature
It’s obvious to avoid extreme temperatures and high humidity conditions for your little one to prevent dehydration and irritability your baby can face. You need to prevent going out in the sun with your baby or keep him calm and in the shade as much as possible.
- Provide proper rest
Baby needs proper rest to recover from the hardships, therefore preventing your baby from any physical activity when in pain or suffering from dehydration.
- Dress according to the season
Choose specific blankets and clothing for your babies according to the weather. Avoid heavy fabrics, sweaters, and long sleeves in the summer season.
- Take extra efforts to keep your baby hydrated during illness.
Dehydration is not a common condition, and however, it can be a serious issue, a fatal one in extreme cases. If your little one is feeling uneasy, uncomfortable, or you happen to observe any of the above conditions, don’t waste time thinking that your baby is dehydrated. Call your doctor and get your little one a frequent checkup. Keep your little one safe and hydrated.
