IS YOUR CHILD GETTING ENOUGH TO DRINK?
Experts share what you need to know about hydration
TANYA ALTMANN AND TIFFANY FISCHMAN
Adequate hydration is essential for growing babies, toddlers and kids. Because of their smaller size children are more vulnerable to losing water through their skin. Kids also often forget to drink and don’t always recognize when they are thirsty, so parents need to be vigilant about making sure they stay hydrated.
Children should aim to have six to eight beverages — ideally water or milk — per day (total ounces needed vary depending on a child’s age). Kids playing sports, spending a lot of time outdoors during the summer, or who are sick with a fever often need more. Here are some age-specific guidelines for making sure your infant or child is getting enough fluids.
Infants under six months: Breast milk provides fluid and all the nutrition a baby needs at this age for proper growth and development. No extra water is necessary (unless recommended by your pediatrician). If you are formula-feeding, double check to make sure you correctly mix formula with the right amount of water (usually one powder scoop per 2 oz/60 mL of water). The amount of liquid nutrition your baby needs slowly increases as he grows, and depends on weight. In the first month of life, he may only need 12 to 24 oz (1.5 to to 3 cups) a day, increasing to 20 to 36 oz (2.5 to 4.5 cups) a day by the time he is four to six months old.
Infants six to 12 months: The liquid nutrition your baby consumes will slowly decrease as solid food nutrition increases. That said, she still needs liquid for hydration. Rely on plain water. Avoid sweet beverages and juice. How much water does she need? Initially your infant will just take sips. But work up to a few ounces a few times a day by her first birthday.
Toddlers and preschoolers: Young children need about 16 oz/2 cups of milk a day. After that, plain water should be your beverage of choice. About 16 to 40 oz/2 to 5 cups of water a day should suffice, depending on the child’s size and what else they are eating. On hot summer days spent running around outside, they need even more water. Don’t forget that fruit and vegetables also contain water, so encourage them to eat those as well.
Instead of fixating on exactly how much water your kids are drinking, try to make plain water available throughout the day, have them carry a water bottle to school and activities, and model good habits by drinking lots of plain water yourself. School-age children and adolescents: Water should be the drink of choice. The amount needed varies with a child’s age and activity level, and with the climate. So while your five-year-old probably only needs about 40 oz (5 cups) of water each day, by the time he reaches 13, he should be drinking as much as an adult (64 oz/8 cups, per day).
Older children, particularly adolescents, should drink about 16 to 24 oz (2 to 3 cups) of low-fat or skim milk daily as part of a calcium-rich diet to support rapidly growing bones. Juice should be limited to 4 to 6 oz (115 to 170 mL) per day. Look for 100 per cent fruit juices or encourage whole fruits. Try to eliminate sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks and vitamin water. They are a big reason so many kids are overweight. Children who play sports: The majority of child and teen athletes do not require anything more than water for adequate hydration before, during and after exercise. Athletes should be sure to hydrate an hour or two before activity, as well as during and immediately after, to ensure they do not become dehydrated. Water should be readily available during sports, for kids to drink every 15-20 minutes while they are active.
WHAT ABOUT SPORTS DRINKS?
The most popular sports drink available was developed by a kidney doctor and specifically created for college football players who were practising several hours a day in intense Florida heat. This drink was not intended for the casual athlete. Sports drinks should be reserved for serious athletes in the setting of prolonged, strenuous exercise (more than an hour). These drinks are high in sugar and have been linked to obesity.
WHEN SHOULD YOU CALL YOUR PEDIATRICIAN?
When your child is sick, they will likely need extra fluids to stay properly hydrated. Fevers, rapid breathing, vomiting and diarrhea can all increase your body’s water losses. Yet when kids are sick, they generally eat and drink less. Infants are particularly vulnerable to serious dehydration during illness.
For babies younger than one year, continue to feed them breast milk or formula even if they’ve vomited. You may have to give smaller amounts more frequently. If your baby isn’t tolerating milk, your pediatrician may recommend an electrolyte solution. Older children should be encouraged to sip water frequently when they are sick. Keeping track of the number of wet diapers or number of times your child has urinated is a good way to make sure they are staying hydrated.
If a child goes more than eight hours without urinating, it’s a sign of dehydration and warrants a call to your pediatrician.
Other warning signs that merit consulting a doctor include dryness inside the mouth, crying with no tears, and increased sleepiness, weakness or fatigue.