AS high temperatures continue across the UK, it’s important we look after the most vulnerable in society.
Unlike adults, babies can’t control their own temperature and are unable to communicate when they are too hot.
Luckily first aiders have shared a simple pinch test that all parents can do to check if your little one is at risk during the heatwave.
Posting on the Tiny Hearts Education Instagram page, the experts said that babies are at an increased risk of becoming dehydrated compared to adults.
To check how hydrated your baby is a small pinch of their skin on their abdomen is all you need.
They explained: “In hydrated skin, the skin will bounce back to shape almost instantly.
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“In dehydrated skin, the skin takes more than two seconds to go back to normal.”
Poor skin turgor can indicate severe dehydration that needs quick treatment.
In addition to not consuming enough water, it can also be caused by other things like vomiting and diarrhoea.
In children, the experts added that there are five key signs of dehydration:
On their blog, the first aiders added that dehydration can have serious consequences for little ones.
In babies it can be caused for a variety of reasons, including when they are refusing to bottle or breast feed, particularly when they are unwell or if they are a little older, they aren’t drinking enough.
They might also become unwell if they are exercising or running around a lot, particularly in hot weather as seen in the UK over the last week.
Common childhood illnesses such as Hand Foot and Mouth also cause excessive sweating and can contribute to dehydration.
“If your little one has a fever, is out in hot weather or is aged under 6 months, they’re also at increased risk of developing dehydration,” they added.
The gurus explained that the best way to treat mild dehydration is to give your little one more fluids.
If they are under six months then they suggest upping the amount of formula or breast milk they have – and get them seen by a doctor.
If they are older than six months they you can also offer oral rehydration solutions or cooled, boiled water for the first 12 hours.
“If bub is formula-fed, replace their formula bottles with oral rehydration solution or cooled boiled water for the first 12 hours, then return to giving normal formula bottles more frequently,” the experts said.
It can be hard to know when to seek help, but the first aiders said if you have a little one under six months or a baby or child that has a long-term illness and you think they are dehydrated – you should see your GP.
But if they are showing severe signs of dehydration such as being irritable and no tears when crying – you should get them to the emergency department straight away.
The other key signs include:
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They added that a good point to remember if you little one is thirsty, is that they are already dehydrated so it’s important to get help as fast as possible.
When it comes down to it, they highlighted that you know your little one best and you should always listen to parental instinct.
