Infants and children are prone to dehydration. When your little one is dehydrated, he can't talk to you. In fact, this condition of lack of body fluids can be dangerous for him, especially if not handled properly. Come on, know the signs your baby is dehydrated here.

Dehydration occurs when the body does not get enough fluids so that the performance of the body's organs is disrupted. This condition is most easily approached by infants, because their body weight is still low, plus the metabolic rate in infants is higher when compared to adults. Thus, making it sensitive if it loses fluid, even if the amount is small.

Causes and Signs of a Dehydrated Baby

Apart from the things above, babies whose immune function is still weak and developing are susceptible to infection. When sick, the baby's body is at high risk of becoming dehydrated.

Here are some other factors that can also make babies dehydrated, namely:

1. Fever

Fever is a condition that often makes babies dehydrated. When you have a fever, there is evaporation of excess water from the skin due to the heat. Then the little one will sweat a lot because the body is trying to lower its body temperature. The higher the fever experienced by the Little One, the higher the chance that he will be dehydrated.

2. Diarrhea and vomiting

These two conditions often occur when the digestive tract is problematic, such as when you are exposed to gastroenteritis. When diarrhea strikes, babies can't absorb fluids from their intestines properly, while a lot of fluids are wasted due to constant defecation. Vomiting also drains body fluids. Both of these conditions can make him fever, so that the fluid that comes out is also more.

Read Too : Causes of Diarrhea in Babies and How to Treat It

3. Drink less

Lack of fluids, such as when you don't get enough breast milk, can make your baby dehydrated. Some of the possibilities that make him refuse to drink are teething, colds, canker sores, or other oral diseases. This condition can make the mouth and throat sore and uncomfortable when drinking.

4. Sweating

Hot air or wearing layers of clothes can make your little one sweat a lot and drain his body fluids. Dehydration has levels, some are mild and easily treatable, moderate, or severe. Severe dehydration can be life-threatening if not treated immediately. The following are signs of mild and moderate dehydration:

Mouth and lips look dry, even chapped.
No tears when crying.
Seems cranky and doesn't want to play.
Not strong enough to breastfeed as usual.
Urine appears darker in color and smells more pungent than usual.
The diaper is dry, even though it has been used for more than 6 hours.

While very severe dehydration is characterized by:

Cold hands and feet.
The body looks pale.
Little one's eyes and crown appear
Very weak and sleepy.
Hard to breathe.
Low blood pressure.

Keep in mind, newborns usually do not shed tears when crying. So, don't mistake your baby for dehydration.

Treat Dehydration Properly

If not treated immediately, dehydration can harm your little one. So, if you see signs your baby is dehydrated, do the following:

If your little one has diarrhea, fever, or excessive sweating, give more breast milk or formula than usual. Electrolyte drinks, such as ORS, can also be given if the baby is over 3 months old.
If his body fluids are reduced due to vomiting, do not immediately give him large amounts of fluids at once. Try to give fluids in small amounts but often. Fluids that you can give are breast milk, formula milk, clean starch water or electrolyte drinks. You can give him a spoonful of liquid every 10 minutes for several hours. After the condition seems to improve, give 2 spoons every 5 minutes. If your little one is able to eat solid food, Mom and Dad can provide food for diarrhea.
Pain in the baby's mouth that makes him refuse to drink can be overcome by giving him medicine, such as paracetamol. This medicine can also be given to help relieve fever. This medicine can be given if the baby is aged 6 months and over.

Diarrhea due to infection in the baby's gastrointestinal tract is most often caused by a virus. This condition will improve by itself if adequate home care. Therefore, giving children's stomach pain medication is not always needed, except on the basis of doctor's advice.

Read Too : Handling and Food to Overcome Diarrhea in Babies

Giving antibiotics does not need to be given every time the child has diarrhea, this drug is only effective if the child has diarrhea due to a bacterial infection. Therefore, it is important to check your little one's condition to the doctor to determine the cause of dehydration.

In addition to the methods above, if your little one is dehydrated due to hot air, you can give more fluids than usual and cool the room temperature with air conditioning or a fan. Giving enough fluids can also help lower the baby's body temperature, in addition to giving doctors medicine.

Immediately consult your child's doctor if the dehydration is severe, or does not improve. If the dehydration is severe, or the condition is getting weaker, then your little one needs to get treatment and close monitoring in the hospital.