Dehydration Can Be Fatal in Infants

A friend once asked me if dehydration can really be fatal in infants. The question arises because he read an article about a baby 10 months who experienced regression (setback development) to the point of zero because of dehydration is not treated early. Whereas before the baby was normal and healthy. However, dehydration due to diarrhea that followed, the development of fine motor skills and rough to go back like a newborn baby. Even he must re-learn to suck milk.

Maybe the story was not as simple as the case told the friend. But the fundamental question whether dehydration can be fatal, the answer is clearly yes. Infants who are dehydrated, says dr. Attila Dewanti, Sp.A., can experience a variety of organ damage, as well as shock or shock, even death.

Why is that? As with adults, dehydration in infants occurs because the body loses a lot of fluids. Whereas about 70% of the human body contains fluids that are beneficial to the smooth flow of blood. When the liquid is reduced, the flow of blood throughout the body will be impaired. Whereas the main function of blood carrying oxygen and food through the body, especially to the brain and lungs as the organ regulating the body's metabolism.

IDENTIFY causes of dehydration

Anything that can lead to dehydration in infants?

* Diarrhea or vomiting

Until now, diarrhea is the number one cause of death in infants. The disease can make a baby infected with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and recurrent diarrhea. The situation is getting worse because at the time of diarrhea, appetite and drinking away the baby down. Even if there is food / drink could go, there were only a little. That, too, was soon expelled by vomiting or pup back.

Plus, the diarrhea usually lasts for days so that the ratio of fluid into and out so it is not balanced. A number of important minerals, like sodium, potassium, and chloride to be wasted. This is what adds to the risk of dehydration.

Diarrhea caused by food intake alone generally contaminated with germs or toxins. Diarrhea caused by food are exposed to germs usually cause symptoms of infant diarrhea, dysentery and then vomiting. Instead, the main symptom of diarrhea due to poisoning vomiting followed by diarrhea new.

* Pneumonia

Pneumonia (lung inflammation) can lead to dehydration because it makes the baby suffered high fever and shortness of breath. This will make the liquid form of water vapor, which came out of the lungs also increases. Handling late or inappropriately can lead to dehydration.

* Lack of food and drink

Such cases are rare because generally if you're hungry or thirsty baby will cry for food or drink. But it is possible that the baby is sick, especially if accompanied by fever and nausea, loss of appetite and drinking. When the intake of food and water babies much less for 3-5 days, for example, dehydration can occur.

IDENTIFY symptoms of dehydration

Attila has appealed to parents to detect whether a jelly baby is dehydrated or not. Divides into three dehydration conditions: dehydration mild, moderate, and severe. The following characteristics:

- Mild dehydration

* Cries without tears

In general, babies crying with tears. Immediately aware of when he was crying but her tears did not go out.

* Dry mouth and lips

Dehydrated will make the most of the body to become dry. Visible is the mouth and lips are dry.

* Lose weight

Because it is experiencing strong growth should continue to increase baby's weight. But if the opposite happened, beware. Signs of mild dehydration symptoms are the baby's weight dropped to 5 percent of original body weight.

- Dehydration IS

* Sunken fontanel

Another benchmark to recognize dehydration in infants is to see the top of his head. If concave, whereas previously normal and then the baby was diarrhea, maybe he was dehydrated.

* Urinating less

Frequency of urination baby enough, ie above the 3 cc / kg body weight per hour. However, infants who are dehydrated will often remove urine. if urination, urine that comes out very small and dark.

* Sunken eyes

Lack of fluid can make your baby's eyes look sunken and seemed to go down.

* Lethargic and sleepy

Not only adults who feel weak when hungry, the baby too. He would limp sleepy even when dehydrated. But because babies can not express it then indicated by the behavior that is often asleep. if he just woke up lying in bed without meaningful activity.

* Pale skin and inelastic

Fluid in the body also serves to moisturize the skin. When the liquid is very minimal, so the skin looks dry and look pale. To further ensure the baby try to pinch the skin gently. Positive if the baby is dehydrated after a pinched, the skin does not quickly return to normal. This is because the skin becomes less elastic and the elasticity of his body.

* Fever

As an adult, the symptoms of dehydration in infants can be characterized by elevated body temperature. If measured, the temperature may reach about 38 ° C because the amount of fluid the body needs are not met.

* Weight loss

When the BB baby down more and more, that 5-10 percent of BB origin, meaning dehydrated babies has increased to the level of being.

- Severe dehydration

* Breath and rapid heartbeat

In the severe dehydration, physical symptoms seen a continuation of the symptoms of dehydration are. It will be more obvious symptoms completely overtaken awareness of children declined, so a quick breath, and heart rate increased.

* Loss of consciousness

Because fluid is needed for the body's metabolism is reduced, then the whole system working organs, especially the brain that regulates body of work patterns will be disrupted. When the brain is not functioning perfectly so many babies lost consciousness.

* Drastic weight loss

Within 24 hours, the baby needs fluids as much as 100 cc / kg body weight. However, when subjected to severe dehydration, increasing the discharge is not worth the time it needs, which can reach 200-250 cc / kg body weight per day. This makes the baby's weight can drop precipitously, which is more than 10 percent of original body weight.

BABY HANDLING dehydration

Infants who are dehydrated should be handled appropriately and quickly. If not necessarily to risk her life. Here's what parents can do when finding symptoms of dehydration in infants:

* Drink plenty of

Give plenty of fluids to the baby is a baby first aid when dehydrated. ORS can be given with the right dose. For example, a small sachet mixed with 200 g of water. Without an accurate dose, oral rehydration salts is hazardous because the content is still strong concern will actually increase dehydration. Because salt is concentrated will "pull" water from the body's cells.

Other fluids such as sweet tea, fruit juice, or soup, may be performed. So is the traditional way for the provision of water starch. Based on the study, water containing glucose polymers starch, a sugar that is easily absorbed and digested the body. Poliglukosa protein contained in wheat starch can make stools more solid.

Another traditional way, like giving sugar solution of salt, can be tried. Make a comparison of two teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt to a glass of water. Give a half glass every time the baby vomit or defecate or give one tablespoon every five minutes until normal feces.

* Immediately to the doctor

Immediately took the baby to the doctor is wise to get more intensive treatment. In the event of distress, such as the baby lost consciousness, the thin, pale, rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat, bolt immediately to the emergency hospital for more intensive treatment can be done.

HOW to prevent dehydration

Diarrhea, a major cause of dehydration, can be prevented. How to maintain cleanliness, good food, tableware, toys, and the environment in which babies are. Attila suggest that we should do the following things:

* Keep the cleanliness

• Feeding bottles should always be sterile when used because if the slightest exposure to germs can cause disease given the baby's immune system is weak.
• Do not give milk bottle which had fallen to the floor to a baby without first re-sterilized.
• Dispose of juice or formula milk left in the bottle when not to drink again after one hour.
• Wash hands frequently with the baby water because the baby is still happy to put his hand into the mouth.
• Ensure that fed on baby food free of germs.

* Balanced nutrition

With balanced nutrition endurance can be increased so that the baby is not susceptible to disease. Here you can do:

• Serve a balanced diet for infants, a food that contains carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals with an acceptable portion of the baby.
• Breast milk is a complete food nutrients that are good for babies. That's why she recommended exclusive breastfeeding for infants up to age 6 months. Especially in the early moments of the production of milk, colostrum, which came out before the milk is good for babies because it contains lots of antibodies, proteins, minerals, and vitamin A. "This is the best food for babies that can not be obtained from other foods," said Attila. Another case when breast feeding mothers is not enough, its shortcomings would not want to be covered with milk formula.

* Provide drug

Many possibilities that would occur in newborns, whether fever, flu, cough, or diarrhea. For that provide medications, such as fever and antidiarrheal drug to be administered as the first treatment if your child sick.