Tips for Preventing Dehydration in Children

Summer is almost upon us and hotter days are just around the corner. If you are a parent, like myself, then you worry that your children may not be getting enough fluids during their summetime outdoor activities. My kids never seem to slow down, no matter how hot it is. Because of this the possibility of them becoming dehydrated is very high.

Dehydration occurs when the body's loss of fluid is greater than the amount of fluid consumed. For example, when your child comes in from play and his clothes are drenched from sweat, this means that his body is losing fluids. We need to make sure that our kids are taking in as much, if not more, fluid than is being lost. If not, then they are at risk for dehydration. How do we do that? Here are some tips to help you keep your children outdoors and hydrated this summer.

1. First of all, if your child has recently been ill with vomiting or diarrhea then you need to restrict their outdoor activity until they are totally well again. Children can become dehydrated during illness and the addition of summer heat and humidity increases the risk for dehydration.

2. Acclimating your child to the heat by gradually increasing the amount of time they spend outdoors each day allows their bodies to adjust to the change in temperature.

3. On extremely hot and humid days, it is best to schedule indoor activities and save the outdoor fun until later in the evening as the day begins to cool down.

4. Make sure that your children take several breaks to refresh and cool off, especially during the hottest time of the day.

5. Have your children wear loose-fitting clothes for better ventilation. Also, they should wear light colors that do not attract the sun's heat.

6. Do not wait until your children complain of thirst, by then, they may already be dehydrated.

7. Limit the amount of caffeinated drinks your children consume as caffeinated drinks can cause dehydration.

8. Keep plenty of water-rich foods around for their lunches and snacks. Fruits, such as watermelon, cantelope, grapes and peaches are great examples of water-rich foods.

9. Keep Gatorade or other sports drinks on hand for those really strenuous soccer games. They help the body to maintain the balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, etc) that it needs to function properly. Due to their high sugar content sports drinks are not recommended for every day rehydration use.

10. WATER is still the very best way to make sure that your children stay hydrated. They need to start drinking it before they go out to play, while they are playing and continue even after they have stopped playing.

Children love and need the great outdoors. Help keep your children safe this summer by stocking your picnic cooler and refrigerator with plenty of cold bottled water. If you keep it handy you will be surprised how many times they will choose a bottle of water over a bottle of soda, especially on a hot day.

Use these 10 simple steps to guide you in keeping your children well hydrated and everyone will be on their way to a beautiful summer.

sources:
www.ehow.com/how_2337705_prevent-dehydration-children.html
www.webmd.com/parenting/prevent-dehydration-children