Fluid is needed in the body in order to ensure a normal level of blood pressure, and also so that metabolic processes in the cells, outside the cells and in the vessels are carried out normally. The degree of delivery of oxygen and necessary substances to vital organs (brain, heart, kidneys, liver) directly depends on blood pressure. Enzymes and other chemicals do not enter into a chemical reaction if the amount of water in the cell, vessel or extracellular fluid is reduced.
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 larger percentage of water (per kilogram of body weight), and this fluid is lost much faster. First, the body tries to replenish the necessary water by taking it from the tissues, shortly afterwards, water from the vessels goes to the “flow”. This causes dehydration. As a result, the kidneys suffer, and if the fluid is not restored on time, the changes in them can become irreversible, in which the child will have to constantly perform procedures using the "artificial kidney" apparatus to survive.
Signs of dehydration in a child
The following are a number of symptoms by which to judge how dehydrated the child’s body is. At the same time, they cannot be completely relied on. For example, a symptom such as thirst will not be expressed at all when a child, for example, will lose more salts than liquids when vomiting. Simply put, if the sodium loss 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 an acetone state: in this case, the child will also not want to drink, or he will vomit after drinking water. "What to do?" - you ask. To assess the degree of dehydration, you need to not only pay attention to the signs of dehydration in the child, but also consider the amount of fluid lost (in case of vomiting and diarrhea).
Dehydration Degrees
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, then now he has lost up to 500 grams of weight (no more). If there is nowhere to weigh, a mild degree of dehydration can be considered if the child:
- loose stools up to 6 times a day;
- vomiting up to two times a day;
- the child is thirsty, he is capricious, excited;
- the skin is moist, normal properties;
- eyes are not sunken;
- lips are dry or normal;
- the voice is normal, not hoarse;
- the pulse is a little quickened or normal;
- the fontanel (if it has not yet closed) does not sink;
- the child is urinating normally.
II degree. Body mass deficiency - 6-9%, or:
- diarrhea up to 10 times or repeated vomiting;
- the child is very thirsty;
- the child may be excited, but more often he is lethargic, sleepy;
- the skin is dry, if it is taken in a crease (for example, on the forearm or in the region of the right hypochondrium), then such a crease straightens out slowly;
- a hoarse voice;
- sunken eyes and fontanel ;
- lips are dry;
- the pulse is frequent;
- less urine than usual.
The second degree means that you urgently need to go to the hospital, and to the "Ambulance", where the child will be given a dropper and they will begin to return the fluid they have lost.
If there are signs of dehydration in a child of the III degree, then he requires treatment in the intensive care unit. For this degree, the following symptoms are characteristic:
- the child falls into an unconscious state;
- the skin is dry, the crease is almost not straightened;
- lips are dry, red, covered with crusts;
- the pulse is frequent and weak, sometimes poorly felt;
- sunken eyes and fontanel;
- urine is very small.
Dehydration Treatment
1. The most important thing is to return the body to fluid. Otherwise, he will die. To do this, only in the first degree, you can limit yourself to one drinking. When there are signs of dehydration in the child, water is used to fill the fluid, in which "Regidron", "Oralit", "Humana Electrolyte" are dissolved according to the instructions. At the same time, it is necessary to carry out this in such a way: the liquid is given often, but fractionally (to avoid vomiting), the volume of liquid is calculated carefully and consists of three components:
- the fluid that the body needs to support life, while the norms depend on the weight of the child ;
- a liquid that should compensate for the losses that are already at the moment (you should consider 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 degree of dehydration I, the calculation is as follows: 10 kg is supposed to drink a liter per day at normal temperature, plus he lost 300 ml with diarrhea, which means they need to be returned, plus diarrhea lasts 5 times 50 ml. The temperature is normal, urine acetone is negative. 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 fluids are necessary.
2. Eliminating the cause of fluid loss. In case of an infectious disease accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea - antibiotics, at elevated body temperature - identification of the cause (often antibiotics are also required here).