With July weather in full swing, it’s a great time to think about hydration. Children are more likely to suffer dehydration because they have increased insensible losses (losing water through their skin) compared to adults. Pair this with outdoor summertime fun, and kids forget they need to drink.
Planned Water Breaks
Before kids head out the door in the morning, add a glass of water to their breakfast and encourage them to drink some water. Once outside, take frequent breaks for water and remind kids to drink during their activities. Target breaks every 30 minutes (more is fine, too!). With each planned snack and meal, be sure your child takes time to drink their water. Add ice cubes to the water bottle to help it stay cold, and consider an insulated water bottle like a Yeti or Thermos. These bottles keep water nice and cold which makes water drinking more enjoyable on those hot days.
Requirements
These are the average daily fluid requirements (including all beverage sources) for children and adolescents established in Canada.
Children 1-3 years: 1300 mL
Children 4-8 years: 1700 mL
9-13 years:
Females: 2100 mL & Males: 2400 mL
14-18 years:
Females: 2300 mL & Males: 3300 mL
Eat it!
Focus on how water content foods to help your child increase their water consumption. Try foods such as watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, kiwi, grapes, and strawberries. Try freezing homemade juices or smoothies into reusable popsicle molds for a nice refreshing treat.
Electrolyte Replacements
If your child is outdoors (especially in warmer weather) and active for more than 1.5 hours, they may benefit from an electrolyte replacement in addition to water.. When kids are sweating for a long period of time, not only do they loose water, but they loose salts such as sodium, potassium, and chloride that need to be replaced, In the situations where children participate in vigorous, prolonged activity, sports drinks may be helpful, but not always necessary. Consider options such as Biosteel, Gatorade, or Poweraid or even juices such as coconut water or apple juice to help replace some of the electrolytes lost through the sweat.
What to Avoid
The World Health Organization made recommendations against replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners (1) and the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Dietetic Academy recommend that artificial sweeteners are not intended for regular consumption in children. Avoid these types of diet or low-calorie beverages as a staple in their diet.
The other ingredient to avoid in beverages is caffeine. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to intakes of caffeine due to their size. The established limits for children aged 10-12 are 85 mg/day and safe limits established for teens is based on body weight (2.5 mg/kg) which would be around 120-150 mg for an average sized 14 year old. Beverages like iced teas or coffees, chocolate milk, and dark colas may be thirst quenching, but do contain caffeine which makes them less ideal for hydration. Energy drinks should not be consumed and can contain dangerously high amounts of caffeine.