How do I know if my child is dehydrated?

Dehydration can sometimes accompany a child's illness if they are not drinking enough or losing fluids from diarrhea and/or vomiting. But how do you know if a child is dehydrated and needs to come to the Emergency Department? SickKids’ Emergency Physician, Dr. Alia Sunderji, shares some tips.

The information in this video is provided for educational purposes only. It is not designed or intended to constitute medical advice or to be used for diagnosis. Due to unique individual needs, you should consult your personal physician before making any decisions regarding treatment or mediation. If you require emergency help, contact your local emergency services: in Ontario, call 911 or go to your local hospital emergency room.

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VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Hi. My name is Dr. Alia Sunderji and I'm a pediatric emergency doctor at SickKids.
One of the questions parents always ask me is: How do I know if my child is dehydrated?

Dehydration commonly occurs due to either:
Reduced fluid intake OR increased losses of fluids from diarrhea or vomiting.

But how do you know if a child is dehydrated and needs to come to emergency department. Children may show one or more of the following signs of dehydration:
Dry, cracked lips and a dry mouth.
Not making any tears when crying.
Passing less urine than normal.
Drowsiness or irritability.
Cold or dry skin.
Low energy levels or seeming very weak or limp.
Sunken eyes or sunken soft spot or fontanelle on the baby's head.

If a child continues to make tears, has a normal number of wet diapers, and is passing urine regularly, and has moist lips, continue to try to encourage fluid intake by offering them frequent sips of half water/ half juice or oral rehydration solution.

You can even try using a small syringe to squirt small amounts of fluid into their mouths to help them stay hydrated.
However, some symptoms are more concerning and indicate that you should take the child to the nearest emergency department. These include:

Having persistent vomiting or diarrhea and not drinking enough fluids to keep up with the losses.
Having decreased urine output.
In babies, this means less than one wet diaper every six hours.
And in children, urinating less than once every 12 hours.

Having blood in the vomit or the vomit turning green in colour. Being in pain that cannot be managed or that interferes with drinking. Or refusing to take fluids - even with a syringe.
Being sleepy or irritable or showing signs of neck stiffness.
Children showing any of these signs should be brought to the nearest emergency department.

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