What signs of dehydration in a child need to know

The fluid is needed in the body in order to maintain a normal level of blood pressure, and also to ensure that metabolic processes in cells, outside cells and in vessels are performed normally. The degree of delivery of oxygen and necessary substances to vital organs directly depends on arterial pressure (brain, heart, kidneys, liver). Enzymes and other chemicals do not react chemically if the amount of water in the cell, in the vessel or in the extracellular fluid decreases.

Dehydration in children can occur for various reasons. The main ones are:

- diarrhea;

- vomiting;

- high body temperature;

- Shortness of breath;

- a large amount of urine.

The baby's body contains a greater percentage of water (per kilogram of body weight), and this fluid is lost much more quickly. First, the body tries to fill the necessary water, taking it from the tissues, shortly afterwards, "water" flows out of the vessels into the outflow. This causes dehydration. As a result, the kidneys suffer, and if the fluid is not restored in time, the changes in them can become irreversible, in which the child will have to constantly perform procedures using the "artificial kidney" apparatus for survival.

Symptoms of dehydration in a child

Below are listed a number of symptoms, by which you can judge how much the child's body is dehydrated. At the same time, they can not be fully relied upon. For example, such a symptom as thirst will not be expressed at all when a child, for example, during vomiting, will lose more salts than liquids. Simply speaking, if the loss of sodium exceeds the loss of water, the child will not ask for a drink. The same applies to the situation when the infectious process that caused diarrhea or vomiting provoked the development of the acetone state: in this case, the child also does not want to drink, or he will vomit after taking water. "What should I do?" You ask. To assess the degree of dehydration, one should not only pay attention to signs of dehydration in a child, but also consider the amount of fluid lost (in the case of vomiting and diarrhea).

Degree of dehydration

I degree. The percentage of fluid loss is up to 5% of body weight. That is, if a child weighed 10 kilograms before the disease, now he has lost up to 500 grams of weight (not more). If there is nowhere to weigh, a mild degree of dehydration can be considered if the child:

- liquid stool up to 6 times a day;

- vomiting up to two times a day;

- the child wants to drink, he is moody, excited;

- Wet skin, normal properties;

- eyes have not sunk;

- The lips are dry or normal;

- The voice is normal, not hoarse;

- The pulse is slightly rapid or normal;

- fontanel (if it has not yet closed) does not sink;

- The child normally urinates.

II degree. Deficiency of body weight - 6-9%, or:

- diarrhea up to 10 times or repeated vomiting;

- the child strongly wants to drink;

- The child can be nervous, but more often he is listless, sleepy;

- the skin is rather dry, if it is taken in a fold (for example, on the forearm or in the region of the right hypochondrium), then this crease is straightened;

- the voice is hoarse;

- eyes and fontanel sunk ;

- The lips are dry;

- The pulse is frequent;

- urine less than usual.

The second degree means that you need to urgently go to the hospital, and on the "First Aid", where the child will be put a dropper and begin to return the lost liquid.

If there are signs of dehydration in a child of grade III, then it requires treatment in the intensive care unit. For this degree, the following characteristics are characteristic:

- the child falls into an unconscious state;

- The skin is dry, the fold is almost not straightened;

Lips dry, red, covered with crusts;

- The pulse is frequent and weak, sometimes it is poorly palpable;

- eyes and fontanel sunk;

- Urine is very small.

Dehydration of the body. Treatment

1. The most important thing is to return the liquid to the body. Otherwise, he will die. To do this, only with the first degree can we limit ourselves to one evaporation. When there are signs of dehydration in the child, water is used to replenish the liquid, in which "Regidron", "Oralit", "Human electrolyte" is dissolved according to the instructions. In doing so, you need to do it this way: the liquid is given often, but fractional (to avoid vomiting), the fluid volume is calculated carefully and consists of three components:

- a liquid that the body needs to maintain life, while the rates depend on the weight of the child ;

- a liquid that must compensate for the losses that are already present (you must count the amount of feces and vomit, measure the temperature every 2 hours);

- a liquid that will make up for further losses.

For example, for a child weighing 10 kg and the degree of dehydration I, the calculation is as follows: for 10 kg at normal temperature it is supposed to drink a liter per day, plus he lost 300 ml with diarrhea, so they need to be returned, plus diarrhea lasts 5 times 50 ml each. The temperature is normal, urine acetone is negative. In total, you need to drink at least 1600 ml per day.

Dehydration II and III degree is treated only in the hospital. Here, in addition to drinking, intravenous fluid is necessary.

2. Elimination of the cause of fluid loss. With an infectious disease that is accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea - antibiotics, at elevated body temperature - the identification of the cause (often here too, require antibiotics).