Dr. Garrett with Covenant says children typically need 60 ounces of liquid, but when temperatures climb they need more.
“It’s a good thing in the morning when they get up if the parents will make sure they drink some liquids, preferably half of what they drink during the day should have what we call electrolytes.”
He says drinks like Pedialyte and sports drinks should satisfy.
“They do need the sodium, potassium and calcium,” said Dr. Garrett, “Because when we are perspiring we lose that in addition to the water.”
He says some signs of dehydration to look out for in your children include the child slowing down in their speed of activity, if the child stops sweating, dry lips and mouth and in more severe cases when the child sits down and loses consciousness.
And because children seem to never slow down he says summer time tends to bring in more injuries.
“We see that children they get out, they’re more physically active, they’re playing outside, so you see more of injuries where children fall, maybe they have scrapped knees, scrapped joints.,” said Dr. Garrett, “We see an increase in bone fractures either with their wrist or ankles or legs depending on how vigorous they are in their sports.”
“You also worry about head injuries, sometimes they fall, especially younger children, they trip and fall and hit their head so you see all those accidents go up where in the winter time they are inside they’re not outside playing.”
Dr. Garrett says with these injuries most times it’s best to wait it out rather than rush into the emergency room.
“Call your regular physician the next day or go to one of the urgent care clinics in town which is a lot easier a lot less time consuming than,” he suggested.
Because you know your child best Dr. Garrett says if an injury does seem more severe be sure to make that trip to the ER.
