Effects of water on children

Children under 6 years old are in the stage of fastest brain development, so the source of nutrition for this stage plays a very important role for children later on. In particular, water plays an important role because many nutrients are only broken down after dissolving in water; the body's metabolism also requires water.

Children need to be provided with enough water during the day. Illustration photo

Children's water needs

Children of different ages have different water needs, from 1 - 2 years old need about 600 - 1,000ml of water/day, 3 - 6 years old 1,000 - 1,500ml/day. Experts recommend giving children a glass of water early in the morning right after waking up, then dividing it into 5 - 6 times to drink the remaining water during the day. Children should be trained to drink water proactively, should drink water that has been boiled and cooled within 12 - 24 hours, should not drink water that has been left overnight, when drinking it is best to use a glass cup, both protecting the environment and good for health.

Within 24 hours, if you see your child urinate less than 5-6 times or the urine is yellow and has a strong odor, it means that the child is dehydrated. Drink less before going to bed and more after waking up. When you wake up, give your child water on an empty stomach to help with blood circulation and help the brain wake up quickly.

Many people mistakenly believe that breast milk or cow's milk contains more water and more nutrients, so there is no need to give children more water. However, children also need to drink water like adults because water accounts for 65% of body weight for adults and 70 - 75% for children. Because children's metabolism is strong, children's need for water is greater than that of adults. Normally, the amount of water children need each day is about 150ml/kg of body weight. In addition to breastfeeding, providing children with an appropriate amount of water is very necessary.

Because the child's kidney function is not yet complete, not drinking enough water will cause the milk to thicken, or if the child is fed too much salt, it will increase the burden on the child's kidneys.

The right time for children to drink water

The best time to remind children to drink water is between feedings, just after waking up, or after playing, just after bathing... These times are also the times when children absorb water most easily.

Drinking water before eating also needs to be taken care of properly. The body should be provided with a certain amount of water about 1 hour before three meals because the process of digesting food requires the support of digestive juices of the digestive system. Drinking water before eating, the amount of water will stay in the stomach for 2-3 minutes, then quickly enter the small intestine, be absorbed into the blood about 1 hour later, and provide all the cells that need water. Drinking water before eating can ensure that the amount of digestive juices secreted is sufficient, on the other hand, it will help the body absorb nutrients while not affecting the physiological water content in the body's cell tissues. Moreover, before breakfast, you should drink water because when sleeping for a night, the body has lost a large amount of water, the blood is condensed; therefore, water will reduce the concentration of blood, causing blood vessels to dilate to a normal state. When the stomach is empty, you should drink warm water. You can also drink fruit juice, light tea, vegetable juice... cow's milk, soy milk, and soups should not be consumed on an empty stomach but should be consumed after the stomach is full.

Notes when giving children water

You have to drink even if you are not thirsty. Children often have the mentality of only drinking water when they are thirsty, but once they feel thirsty, the amount of water in the body is out of balance, the central nervous system sends out a signal asking the body to provide water. Drinking water only when thirsty is like watering dry and cracked soil, this will affect crop productivity, so even when you do not feel thirsty, you still need to drink water.

Children should limit the use of plastic cups, paper cups, limit drinking mineral water, bottled water, should not drink unboiled water or water that has been boiled many times. Currently, many parents replace water with carbonated soft drinks, fresh milk for children, this is a mistake that makes children prone to obesity, when they grow up, they are susceptible to chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure...

Before breastfeeding, you should not give your baby water, especially soft drinks, otherwise it will reduce the baby's appetite or desire to breastfeed.

The best water is boiled and cooled because it will be immediately absorbed and used by the body, participating in the body's metabolism, promoting excretion, and not putting a burden on the kidneys.

Some important moments

Diarrhea: When children have diarrhea, minerals are lost, especially Sodium and Potassium, so it is necessary to give children additional oral rehydration solution mixed according to the instructions on the package, both to compensate for the amount of water lost due to diarrhea and to prevent electrolyte loss in the body.

In the summer: in addition to giving children plenty of warm water, you can also give them green bean water, apricot syrup and watermelon juice... to help them replenish water in time, and it also has the effect of dissipating heat and regulating body temperature. In addition, apricot syrup is also an appetizer for children, watermelon juice has a diuretic and cooling effect. Hot weather makes children sweat a lot, which can easily cause heat in the body, at this time you can give children more squash juice.

When children have fever or cough: when children have fever or cough, they need to be given water promptly. Water will help clear the lungs and reduce heat; pears or Chinese yams cooked with water will help replenish water, clear the lungs, and treat coughs... For older children, you can give them fruit juice which contains many vitamins to improve their immune system.

According to SKDS