Children's fluid intake is of great importance for maintaining their good health. At birth, water represents about 75% of the body. Without water, the cells in our body cannot function properly. A person can live for months without food, but only a few days without water. Water needs are different at different age periods. As a rule, the smaller the child, the more water he needs to drink. Lack of adequate water intake can lead to significant disturbances in the indoor environment. In this regard, children are the most vulnerable group.
Why do children tend to lose more fluids than adults?
The child's body has some features that distinguish it from adults and predispose to easier water loss:
- The smaller the child, the higher the body surface area/body weight index. This means that children lose 2 to 3 times more water through the skin than adults;
- Metabolic processes in children occur much faster than in adults. A growing child's body needs much more calories and water to sustain them.
Children do not always recognize the early stages of thirst, which makes them particularly vulnerable, especially when they are playing sports or playing outdoors in the hottest summer months.
Колко вода трябва да пият децата?
Ensuring adequate water intake is not always easy to determine by the medical professional. This is due to a number of factors. There is no consensus among the various schools regarding the recommended intake of water. Most recommendations are based on total fluid intake - drinking water, water obtained from food and fluids, as well as that released during oxidative processes in the body (metabolic water). Environmental factors also influence both the water balance and the necessary exogenous import - ambient temperature, accessibility, taste qualities, cultural habits.
Food and Nutrition Board recommendations for adequate water intake in different
age groups and depending sex:
In infants up to 6 months. age, it is considered that the necessary amount of water is obtained from mother's milk. After this age, it is also provided by the additional foods and drinks in the child's menu. After the age of 1, the intake of drinking water is mandatory, and the amount of water obtained from different food products is also important:
Type of food - Percentage of water content:
Water– 100%
Low fat milk, melon, watermelon, cabbage, spinach - 90-99%
Fruit juice, yogurt, orange, carrot - 80-89%
Banana, corn – 70-79%
Veal, white cheese – 50-59%
Pizza– 40-49%
Bread – 30-39%
Cake, biscuits – 20-29%
Butter, margarine – 10-19%
Nuts, chocolate, peanut butter - 1-9%
Oil, sugar - 0%
When should water intake be increased?
- In all conditions associated with fever. When the body temperature increases, the loss of water increases, both through the skin (through sweating) and through the lungs (during rapid breathing). Newborns, infants and young children are most vulnerable;
- With diarrhea and/or vomiting – water and electrolytes are lost through the digestive system;
- With a large number of infections, when the child is very lethargic and refuses to eat;
- In activities related to increased physical activity;
- During the summer months when the temperature outside is high.
If you notice dry skin and mucous membranes in your child, but he is in good physical and emotional tone, start increasing water intake. However, if the child becomes lethargic, lethargic and refuses to take water, you must consult a doctor.
How to maintain good hydration of the child's organism:
- The habit of drinking water must be cultivated! The earlier it is started, the easier the child will get used to water as a mandatory part of the diet;
- Offer water frequently, especially during the summer months;
- Give your children water at breakfast, before they go to school or kindergarten, and during play;
- Always put a bottle of water in the child's backpack;
- Encourage them to fill their water bottle on their own;
- Aim to give the child natural drinks. Energy drinks and sweetened juices are high in sugar and other substances, making them unsuitable for maintaining good hydration;
- Monitor the daily intake of drinks. For children over 4 years of age, it is recommended to take 6-8 glasses of liquid daily, preferably water, milk, fruit/vegetable juice.
- The amount of one dose for 4-year-olds should be 150 ml, and for older children - 250 ml;
- Children who play sports or play outdoors, especially in summer, should drink more water.