Parents – Act Quickly When Your Child Becomes Dehydrated

Childhood cases of vomiting and diarrhea are always cause for concern for parents. For left untreated, a child may lose too much fluid from his or her body resulting in dehydration, which could lead to a medical emergency.

Vomiting and diarrhea have many causes. Viruses, parasites, and foods that are hard to digest are just a few of the reasons children develop these painful conditions.

All children, particularly, infants and younger children, may become dehydrated quickly. Signs to look for, which might indicate dehydration has developed in a child, include:
�· Irritability
�· Lethargy
�· Not eating as well as usual
�· Weight loss
�· Not urinating as often as usual
�· Urine that is darker than usual
�· Fast heartbeat
�· Dry mouth
�· Thirst (babies may show thirst by crying and being irritable and eager to drink when something is offered)
�· Sunken eyes
�· No tears when crying
�· Sunken soft spot in babies younger than 18 months
Ã?· Skin that isn’t as springy as usual

There are effective ways to prevent a child from becoming dehydrated. If a child has had a number of episodes of vomiting or diarrhea, he must be encouraged to drink fluids to replace those which have been lost. If the child is an infant, check with your pediatrician about which fluids, possibly store bought, should be used.

A child older than two years may drink water or other clear fluids, again with the guidance of your pediatrician. Many children older than two can have apple juice, chicken broth and Gatorade-type sports drinks.

A child who is vomiting might try drinking small amounts of liquids. As the vomiting subsides, more liquids may be introduced.

Special commercial products, such as the popular Pedialyte, and similar products, are often used to reintroduce fluids into an ill child. These liquid products provides an ill child with an electrolyte solution to offset the changes in their blood chemistry which occur during dehydration.

When a child has diarrhea, many doctors recommend continuing to provide liquids and even limited foods. While the diarrhea will continue, the foods will provide some missing nutrients.

It is not always easy to know when to call your doctor when your child becomes ill. Some guidelines might include notifying your doctor if your child is vomiting or has diarrhea and:
�· Is younger than 6 months old
�· Is older than 6 months old and has a fever higher than 101.4�°F
�· Has signs of dehydration
�· Has been vomiting longer than 8 hours or is vomiting with great force
�· Has stools that are bloody or slimy
�· Has blood or green slime in the vomit
Ã?· Hasn’t passed urine in 8 hours
�· Could have swallowed something that could be a poison
�· Has a stiff neck
�· Is listless or unusually sleepy
�· Has had abdominal pain for more than 2 hours

It is often difficult to give a child liquids when he or she is vomiting. However, it is important to try to replenish some of the liquids the child has lost. At first, try giving liquids, even as little as one teaspoonful, every few minutes. Once the child is able to keep that small amount down, slowly increase the liquids.

Dehydration from diarrhea and vomiting is something to remain very watchful of with all children. However, by becoming knowledgeable about combating the ill-effects of dehydration, you can help to assure your child will remain safe until the illness has passed.