Hot summer and muggy weather cause water loss for the body,
especially for children because they are active and playful, which makes them
sweat and lack of water.
Therefore, adults should initiatively provide an amount of
water for children. Furthermore, not all parents can select drinks which are
refreshing and nourishing.
Mom, I’m thirsty!
According by Dinh Thac, M.A, Doctor of Children Hospital 1
in HCMC, water plays an important role for healthy, especially when biological
responses of the body help it develop and adapt to impacts from external
environment.
As natural responses, when the body suffers from a shortage
of water, it will prioritize to bring water to essential organs such as brain,
heart, liver, kidney, and it will reduce water delivered to less important
organs such as digestion, muscle, articulation, skin and mucous membrane, so
the earliest sign of lacking water will appear in these less important organs.
Thus, if a shortage of water is mild and moderate, it will make
the body tired, sleepy, less urinate, constipated. The skin will be dry and
itchy because skin cells which lack of water will be exfoliated and break out
in pimples. Blood vessels hurt easily. It may cause headache and vertigo,
weaken muscles and make urinary infection recrudesced because of the decrease
of urine output. Therefore, it will be hard to eliminate scum and bacteria
through urine. Kidney stones also form or regenerate at ease due to the
concentration of minerals.
Lacking of water also increases the risk of
throat and respiratory infection because air through the nose is not wet, which
excites and makes the lung become sensitive with smoke, dust, chemicals and
allergic rhinitis.
A serious shortage of water will lead to lowing blood
pressure, heart palpitation, less urinating; dry mouth, intense thirst, dry
skin and mucous membrane, no sweat; dry and sore eyes, unbalanced body…
As recommendation of World Health Organization, the daily
amount of water that a body needs depends on areas and ages. In tropical area
like Vietnam, because the amount of sweat is large, the body will lose about
1.8 – 2 liter of water each day. In case eating much soup and vegetable, the
essential amount of water that an adult needs to drink is about 1 liter (5 – 6
glasses). If you eat less soup and vegetable, you should drink much water,
about 1.5 liter per day.
Each day children
need about 50 – 60 ml of water for per kg of their body.
Each day children need about 50 – 60 ml of water for per kg
of their body. The water demand increases in some cases such as when kids sweat
too much after physical activities or when hot summer weather.
How to supplement water and nutrient?
According to Dr. Dinh Thac, any beverage for children needs
to ensure safety food standards. Drinks for children shouldn’t be too sweet due
to it contains too much sugar that make children get indigestion easily or have
surfeit which affects to meals of children.
If children want colorful beverage, parents can choose fresh
juice from natural fruits to ensure nutrient and safety for health.
Drinks for children have to be suitable with ages. 0 – 6
month babies should be totally breast-fed, no need any types of water because
mother’s milk includes a large amount of water.
Weaning children about 6 – 12 months can drink boiled water,
mineral water, soup, broth or a little fresh fruit juice which they prefer,
depending on their shortage of water. Children about or over 1 years old may
drink any kinds of water which adults use.
There are some recommended types of water for children in
the hot summer below:
Orange, lemon juice
Contain much vitamin C, have refresh and cooling affect and
make skin more beautiful, along with antiseptic affect and coughing treatment…
Fresh sugarcane juice
Beverage effect together with health benefit as sweet taste
of sugarcane; fresh, nutritious but parents should not give children too much.
Melon
Sharpen the peel and then grind, add some sugar to drink for
refresh effect and nutritious benefit.
Centella
Grind and add some sugar to drink easily; good
cooling effect.
Mango juice: a glass of fresh mango (about 160ml) provides
75 kcal and more than 50% of daily demand of vitamin C.
Yogurt
Very good in summer because of benefit for
digestion and skin
