Prevent Infant Dehydration

Infant dehydration occurs anytime a baby's fluid intake cannot compensate for the baby's fluid output. Common conditions that cause dehydration in infants include hot weather conditions, feeding problems, fever, diarrhea and vomiting. You can help prevent infant dehydration by becoming familiar with the symptoms, alleviating some of the conditions that cause dehydration, and learning when to get medical help. Severe dehydration can cause serious health problems in infants and can be fatal.

Steps

Identifying Dehydration

  1. Know the major causes of infant dehydration. Fever, diarrhea, vomiting, hot weather conditions, and a decreased ability to drink or eat are some of the most frequent causes. Conditions such as cystic fibrosis or celiac inhibit food absorption and can also cause dehydration.[1]Signs of dehydration in children include:[2]
    • Eyes may appear sunken.
    • There may be a decreased frequency of urination.
    • Urine is dark in color.
    • Soft spot on the front of the head in babies (called the fontanel) may appear sunken.
    • No tears come when the child cries
    • Mucous membranes (the lining of the mouth or tongue) appear dry or sticky.
    • The baby appears lethargic (less than normal activity).
    • There is more inconsolable crying or fussiness.
  2. Recognize mild to moderate infant dehydration symptoms. Many cases of mild to moderate dehydration can be treated at home. Untreated, they can lead to severe dehydration. Take care to recognize these symptoms before they advance. These include:[3]
    • The baby has a low activity level.
    • An infant has a poor sucking reflex.
    • Your baby displays lack of interest in feeding.
    • Fewer wet diapers than normal appear.
    • Dry, parched skin spreads around the mouth area.
    • The baby has a dry mouth and lips.
  3. Understand the symptoms of severe infant dehydration. In cases of severe dehydration, medical attention is necessary. Contact a doctor right away if your child is severely dehydrated. Symptoms include:[3]
    • Few or no tears are produced when the baby cries.
    • No wet diapers appear in a six to eight hour period, or less than three in a 24 hour period, or if there is only a small amount of dark yellow urine.
    • Sunken fontanel and sunken eyes.
    • Cool or blotchy hands or feet.
    • Very dry skin or mucus membranes
    • Rapid breathing
    • Baby is lethargic (very poor activity) or very irritable

Managing Fluids

  1. Offer additional fluids in conditions that can lead to dehydration.[4] Overheating or even a higher than normal ambient temperature can cause rapid water loss. Fever, diarrhea and vomiting can also lead to dehydration. These situations will require that you offer your child additional fluids.
    • Instead of feeding every few hours, feed every half hour.
    • Encourage the baby to nurse more frequently if breastfeeding.
    • Offer more frequent bottles with smaller portions of milk if you are bottle feeding.
  2. Try supplementing fluid intake with water if the infant is over four months old. If the baby is not eating solid food yet, offer no more than four oz. You can provide more water if you've already introduced the baby to solids. Dilute juices with water if your older infant drinks juice.[5] You can also offer your baby an electrolyte solution such as Pedialyte, Rehydralyte, or Enfalyte.
  3. Contact your doctor or a lactation consultant if your breastfeeding baby is not able to latch on correctly. If your baby cannot feed properly, dehydration is a real risk. A baby's lips should be around the areola of the breast, not just the nipple. If you hear loud noises like air being sucked, the baby may not be able to get good suction on the breast. A professional can help diagnose and provide strategies to resolve nursing problems.
  4. Discuss your concerns with your doctor if the baby is not interested in feeding. Keep track of the number of dirty and wet diapers the infant produces per day and how much/how often the baby is feeding. Your doctor can use this information to evaluate whether the baby is getting enough fluids.[6]

Preventing Overheating

  1. Check to see if an infant is overheating by gently touching the back of the infant's neck. Generally, touch is the ideal way to check your child's temperature. If the skin is hot and sweaty, this indicates the infant is too warm. Overheating can cause infant dehydration.[7]
  2. Minimize your baby's exposure to warm temperatures. By giving your baby a cool environment, you will help minimize loss of water. Higher ambient temperatures have also been connected to SIDS. Research shows that infants exposed to an average temperature of 84 °F (28.9 °C) degrees were more than twice as likely to die suddenly than those in an average temperature of 68 °F (20 °C).[8]
    • Pay attention to the temperature in the infant's room with a thermometer.
    • Get an air-conditioner in the summer.
    • Don't overheat your house in the winter.
  3. Choose blankets or clothing appropriate to the weather outside or the temperature inside. Don't swaddle the baby in a heavy blanket if the home is overly warm, even if it is cold outside. Overheating due to heavy coverings has been connected to SIDS.[9]
    • Do not bundle your child up when she is sleeping.
    • Dress infants in weather-appropriate clothing.
    • Avoid heavy fabrics, jackets, fleece hats, and long sleeves and pants in hot weather, unless the clothes are made of a breathable material.
  4. Keep the baby in the shade while outdoors.[10] This will also help to protect his skin. Get a stroller with an adjustable shade. Get a portable sun shade if you will be somewhere very sunny, such as the beach. Put a window shade in your car to protect your baby from the sun while you're driving.

Keeping an Infant Hydrated During Illness

  1. Take extra care to keep your baby hydrated during illness. Babies experiencing fever, diarrhea or vomiting are more likely to become dehydrated. Increase the frequency of times you offer the baby breastmilk or formula. Offer smaller portions if your baby is vomiting.
    • For a vomiting baby, this may even mean feeding clear fluids with a medicine syringe or spoon with only five to ten ml per feeding every five minutes. Your doctor can advise you on how much and how often to feed your baby.
  2. Watch to see if the baby is swallowing fluids. A baby with blocked sinuses or throat pain due to illness may have difficulty swallowing. In this situation it will be necessary to address the blockage.
    • Discuss the use of infant pain medication with a pediatrician if your baby doesn't want to swallow due to throat pain.
    • Administer infant saline drops to the baby to flush sinuses if the infant is congested and us a bulb syringe to remove mucus. Discuss proper use with your health practitioner, and get additional treatment if the baby's condition does not improve or becomes more serious.
  3. Use an oral rehydration solution (ORS). These are specially designed to help hydrate infants, and it will help replace the water, sugars and salts your baby has lost.[10] Do this according to a doctor's directions if the infant is not able to keep down fluids and experiences persistent diarrhea and vomiting. Alternate between breastfeeding and offering the ORS if you have a nursing infant. If you use formula, discontinue the use of formula and any other drinks while using the ORS.
    • Common brands are Pedialyte, Rehydralyte, and Enfalyte.
  4. Get prompt medical attention if the baby is ill and suffering from severe dehydration. Infant dehydration can be life threatening. If a baby's fever, diarrhea or vomiting continue or worsen, or your baby is exhibiting signs of severe dehydration, see a doctor or go to the hospital right away.[11]


Warnings

  • Avoid giving juice to infants suffering from diarrhea. Juice can worsen diarrhea.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.emedicinehealth.com/dehydration_in_children/article_em.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.emedicinehealth.com/dehydration_in_children/page3_em.htm
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/basics/symptoms/con-20030056
  4. ↑ http://www.thebump.com/a/dehydration-baby
  5. ↑ http://www.babycenter.com/0_dehydration-in-babies_11527.bc
  6. ↑ http://www.the-essential-infant-resource-for-moms.com/Infant-Dehydration.html
  7. ↑ http://www.swaddledesigns.com/learn/temperature-awareness.html
  8. ↑ http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307960/
  9. ↑ http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2010/nichd-02.htm
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 http://www.babycentre.co.uk/a557531/dehydration
  11. ↑ http://my.clevelandclinic.org/childrens-hospital/health-info/diseases-conditions/hic-dehydration-and-your-child
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