Babies and dehydration: Know the signs
Babies can easily sweat and lose fluids from being in the sun or being active on a hot day
IF you notice any one of these signs, it may mean your baby is dehydrated:
• Dry skin or lips
• A sunken fontanelle (the soft spot on the top of your baby’s head)
• Fewer wet nappies than usual
• Sunken eyes
• Tearless crying
• Dark yellow urine
• Lethargy and drowsiness
• Rapid breathing
• Cold and blotchy-looking hands and feet
Causes of dehydration
Fever is one of the most common causes of dehydration owing to the water evaporation from the baby’s skin as his/her body tries to cool down.
You may also notice that your baby may be breathing faster than normal and losing more fluid by exhaling.
Babies can easily sweat and lose fluids from being in the sun or being active on a hot day.
They can also overheat because they are wearing too many layers, especially in Zululand with its extremely high temperatures… and NEVER leave your baby in your car while you pop out to do errands as the heat that builds up in a vehicle can be a killer.
Fluids can be lost very quickly if a baby suffers from a tummy bug which causes diarrhoea and/or vomiting.
A refusal of a bottle or to breastfeed may be more than disliking a formula or insufficient milk flow – your baby may be refusing to drink because his/her mouth and throat are sore or the baby has a stuffy nose which makes it difficult to suck and breathe at the same time.
Treatment
Book a visit at your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the abovementioned signs of dehydration.
Offer your baby plenty of liquids such as breast milk or formula.
It may help to give smaller amounts of milk more often.
If your baby is formula-fed, don’t dilute the formula.
Formula-fed babies and babies on solids can have extra water too.
Don’t give your baby fruit juices or carbonated drinks, particularly if your baby’s dehydrated because of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Offer your baby sips of oral rehydration solution (ORS) a few times an hour alongside her usual breast milk, or full strength formula and water.
An ORS will help to replace the fluids, salts and sugars your baby has lost.
If your baby isn’t drinking because he or she is having trouble swallowing, give the infant paracetamol or infant ibuprofen to help ease the discomfort.
Your baby can have infant paracetamol from two months if born after 37 weeks and weighs more than 4kg.
Ibuprofen can be given if the baby is three months or older and weighs at least 5kg.
Ask your clinic sister, doctor or pharmacist for advice if you’re unsure how much to give your baby.
During hot weather, keep your baby in a cool place out of the sun.
Offer plenty of drinks.
If your baby is only breastfed, he or she won’t need extra water on a hot day, but if formula-fed or on solids, offer water, too.
Hospitalisation
If your baby is very dehydrated, he or she may need to go to hospital for treatment.
A doctor will give the baby fluids through a drip in the arm, or through tubes inserted via the nose.
Severe dehydration is often a side effect of other illnesses, such as gastroenteritis or respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis.
However, rest assured that most cases of dehydration are not serious.
Dehydration is common in babies, and can usually be treated at home on the advice of your doctor.
This advice has been sourced from the Baby Centre Medical Advisory Board (www.babycentre.co.uk).
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