Features

Health & Wellbeing: Ensure children stay hydrated

It is important practitioners recognise the signs of dehydration and ensure children are drinking enough. By Annette Rawstrone

Staying well-hydrated is important whatever the weather, but as the days are warming up, it’s a good time to reconsider how you ensure the children in your care are having enough fluids.

Jo Kellam, nutritionist and eating behaviour specialist at Healthy Intuition, says, ‘Becoming dehydrated can not only decrease their energy levels but their concentration too, which in turn can affect learning and overall wellbeing.’

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

Dehydration happens when the body loses more fluids than it takes in, and children are more susceptible to this than adults. Along with causing tiredness, headaches and irritability, poor hydration in young children can lead to daytime bladder issues, such as constantly needingto wee (see Further information). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence also warns that more severe symptoms such as an abnormally fast heartbeat and/or abnormally rapid breathing can be signs of clinical dehydration.

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