Does My Toddler Have a Drinking Problem? :)

This sounds so familiar!!! My daughter will drink pure juice all day long. She will not touch a bit of food and drink only juice if I let her. But I put that to a stop really quick. Does your daughter eat fine on top of all of the liquids? The only concern I had with my little one was that she wasn't eating good nutrients. Of course 100% is great, most of the time. But it's not the only thing she needed so I stopped it. I got her this mini version of my daily water bottle and I'm constantly putting water in it when she asks for something to drinnk. Water is great for kids! I know you dilute it, but it's still great to have pure water. Then at the main meals we give her only milk. She gets no option there. At snack time we will give her a choice of the apple juice, or the wonderful new veiggie/fruit juice from Juicy Juice. When I made the change in her, a few things happened. She ate more, and healthier items. Even though it's not altered sugar, fruit juice still has sugar in it. Natural sugars are great, in moderation! Next, her urine began to go back to normal light yellowish color. Before it was smelling aweful and was very dark! That concerned me. And next, she settled down so much easier at night. It was amazing how much easier bedtime became after I cut the natural sugars at dinner time. Maybe you can use this maybe not, but I didn't have any major health concerns.

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That much drinking puts a red flag up for me. It sounds like it could possibly be type 1 diabetes. That is way too much fluid intake for anybody. I would definitely cut her back on the fluid intake and consult her doctor. The juice is loaded with sugars so you may want to get her into a dentist as well. You can't see cavities unless they are big and the tooth or teeth is rotting. Cavities can get inbetween teeth where you can't see at all. Definitely get her to the doctor and to the dentist.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7 and 4.

J.,
My only concern would be diabetes. Excessive thirst is one of the first signs of the disease and since you are diluting as much as you say you are the sugars in the juice may not effect the way she is feeling, meaning it's not too much sugar. Peeing a lot is not a problem, well, for anyone but the person who is spending 4hrs a day just changing diapers or spending the money on the diapers but peeing a lot is a good thing since she is drinking so much. I'd be worried if she wasn't peeing a lot! Look into your family history for diabetes type I or II, hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. If there is a positive family history of any of those I would make an appointment with the doctor to have a blood test done. My second concern may be the sugars rotting her teeth from so much juice but I'm glad to hear you dilute and she drinks water at night. Keep in mind all this drinking may be an issue when potty training! Good Luck! -H.-

I definitely would contact your doctor. If you truly are diluting the drink as much as you say and she still is needing that much to drink, I would be a little concerned. Excessive thirst is one of the "classic" diabetes signs. Hopefully this is not the case with her, but I would recommend getting it checked.

I would certainly call the doctor about the excessive drinking. It could be nothing but it's better to check it out. I would also cut out the juice. She only needs one cup a day of juice. I would give her maybe milk with meals and one cup of juice. Other than that, I would give her water. Water is better for her. That is way too much juice. She doesn't need that much. That's just my opinion.

You may have her assessed for juvenile diabetes. Sometimes some of the symptoms are excessive drinking and urinating. And usually Type I diabetes does not have to have any kind of family history. It just comes out of nowhere. Best of luck to you.

She may be diabetic if she is drinking that much. But be very careful, my nephews teeth literally rotted. It was so bad that when he got knocked accidentally in the mouth both front teeth broke in half. My son really likes his milk, weather it be w/ a hint of chocolate or strawberry powder, but I limit it. He does drink bottled water but no where near that amount.

J.,
I would have your daughter tested for juvenile diabetes immediately. My brother was diagnosed when he was very young and his symptoms were excessive thirst and excessive urination. I don't want to alarm you but it would be better to have her tested and it comes back negative than to let the diabetes go untreated.
N.

My son will be 2 next month and he drinks like there is no tomorrow too! I have asked my doctor about it and he said as long as there are no stomach ache and it is not affecting his eating then he should be fine. My niece is 3 months older then my son and she is a drinker too. My sister-in-law has asked her doctor too and pretty much got the same answer. During meal time i do wait a little bit before i give him his sippy cup because there are times when he'll suck down his juice and want more before he touches his food, so to make sure he's eating i wait rather than fill up his cup 2-3 times while eating.

i am extremly surprised and concerned by the responses where the dr dismissed this! this is a very common symptom of diabetes like a lot of other posters wrote.
if your ped dismisses this i would get a second opinion, or ask that her suger levels be tested just to make you feel better

From the symptoms she needs checked for diabetes-Type I-ASAP.

J.,

I would take her to the doctor to be checked to see if she is diabetic. One of the signs is always thirsty................

Good luck to you.

Sue

maybe you should see if her sugar is high

Does your daughter ask for the juice and actually drink it or does she carry it around too...if she is drinking that much you may want to alert her pediatrician and ask him to check her sugar levels....a constant thirst is a sign of diabetes...best of luck.

Hi J., You didn't mention any family history but you may want to talk to your dr. about all the drinking. 1 she may need to increase her vitamin intake and 2 . it sounds similar to how diabetics can be. You may not have anything to worry about but it's always a good idea to check with an expert when a child displays an excessive behavior. Hope all goes well Bless you, D

Please have your daughter tested for Diabetes. That is one of the number one signs. Constant thirst and frequent trips to the bathroom

water and juice is good for her.

Hi J.! My daughter is the same way. Then she went to stay with her grandparents one weekend. When we went to pick her up her grandpa suggested we have her tested for diabetes. Those are some of the signs of that. I took her to the doctor and thankfully everything came back fine. I now know that it isn't something to worry about. She just is thirsty all the time. Good luck!

D.

A body's constant need for thirst may be a sign that something is wrong, like diabetes. The problem could also be the juice. Toddlers love juice a little too much sometimes. I would dilute even more than you do already, 90-95% water. It's like getting flavored water instead. She could be dehydrated and her body is in need of water. Watch her salt intake. Sodium can make you thirsty, and too much of it is bad for you. Try to limit the amount of meat and pre-made/frozen/packaged meals you give her - all these are loaded with sodium. Talk to her pediatrician about this because you don't want her to have untreated diabetes. Good luck.

My now 3 year old daughter used to drink like that too, when she had a sippy cup. My husband and I also asked our doctor and he said that she was fine just a drinker but if we didn't want her to drink so much to only make her cup available at certain times or not allow her to walk around with one. Now that she uses a big girl cup it stays on the table at all times and she doesn't drink nearly as much. When we go away she uses a sports bottle and she gulps it down like she hasn't had a drink in months. Good Luck!

Hi J.,
Excessive thirst and excessive urination could be indicative of juvenile diabetes. There are several other signs of it as well (weight loss, fatigue, increased hunger,...) If it has you concerned enough to post a question on this site, then I think perhaps its time to place a call to her pediatrician. I'm sure you know diabetes is a very serious disease, so I think you would rather be safe than sorry.

All my best!
A.

At her age I would be also be concerned about her drinking so much juice. Even diluted it has alot of sugar in it and this could cause some serious damage to her teeth. Does she drink plain water the same way? I would definitely call her pediatrician and tell them your concerns, how much she is drinking and how often you are changing her diapers. God bless you and your family.

My ped. said at my daughter's 2 year check up that she should only be drinking milk or water. Does your daughter not like milk?? Just make sure you are giving her 100% juice. Even with the water down version, you don't want to be giving her too much sugar! Maybe try to just offer her water instead. Good luck!

Yes, it could be a health concern. It sounds like she's drinking a lot of fluids. Has she always needed to drink that much, or has it started recently? Is her Dr. aware of how much fluids she drinks?

I don't want to frighten you, but frequent thirst/peeing, is a sign of diabetes, which is very serious if let untreated. That doesn't mean she has it, but I highly suggest that you contact her Dr. today & explain how much she drinks. They can decide what the next step is. Dr. doesn't know what's happening unless you let them know.

I would also not give her so much juice, as it's not good for her teeth watered down or not. Water should be enough to take care of her thirst.

I had a cousin who visited our home years ago when her daughter was 13 months old. When she woke up from her nap she guzzled an 8oz glass of H2O with no problem. My cousin stated, "She's been drinking a lot recently & soaking her diapers". She was from OOT, so I suggested calling my kid's Dr. She ended up in the hospital that night, prior to seeing the Dr. She is diabetic, but is a healthy young lady now, who works hard on controlling her blood sugar.

Don't hesitate in contacting the Dr. I wish you the best & hope all works out well.

K. :)

Toddles should only have 6-8 ounces of juice a day -- that's 1 cup. There is so much sugar in juice (even 100% juice) that it may make her thirsty. Replace 7-11 of those cups with water & see how she does. And milk should only be 2-3 6-8 ounce cups per day, also. Just a different suggestion than I saw in the other replies. I hope you don't have to deal with diabetes! =( Good luck!

My husband has always been a big drinker and I have seen that in my oldest son. But not maybe to this extent. That seems like a lot of beverage for a child that age. A constant thirst is sometimes a sign of diabetes. Just a thought of something you might want to check into.

I would have her checked for diabetes

I would call the pediatrician and talk to the nurse about this. Excessive thirst could be a sign of diabetes. This is definitely something for a nurse or a ped to answer.

water is great for the body but i am careful not to give my toddlers more than 1 cup of juice every day-- it's got lots of sugar in it. (even the 100% juices have fruit sugar in them-- it's much healthier than corn syrup or added sugar but is still sugar)

if you cut back on juice does she drink as much? if it was just water, maybe she wouldn't down it so much since it doesn't taste yummy.... ?

when you potty train it's actually great for them to pee all the time because they have lots of opportunities to try going potty..........

let's see, my kids drink 1-2 cups of milk a day, and 2-3 cups of water, plus water/milk with meals. that's about 7 cups a day...

Hi J., If you are watering the juice down like you say, it's probably good for her to be so hydrated! Especially if she has no health issues. I'd make sure you continue to water it down though. God Bless! N. L.

Oh my. I don't want to scare you or alarm you at all but have you asked her doctor about the constant drinking and peeing? I am a type 1 diabetic and my 9yo son was diagnosed at age 4 with Type 1 diabetes and all the drinking and peeing is one of the first signs of diabetes :( Its the body's way of getting rid of excess glucose.. and what I noticed in my son that he was constantly going to the bathroom and drinking alot.. and with being diabetic myself I noticed the signs early... I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear about but it really scares me because alot of people don't really know what to watch for especially in toddlers. Anyway, I really hope that is not the problem with her, but I would ask the doctor about her doing that so much.
S.
mom to 9yo Type 1 Frankie and in 5wks to Melody

Well if you are diluting the juice then she isn't getting that much juice. But my suggestion is to ask the doctor to check her for diabetes. Just a thought...I am a Medical Assistant and know from school that being thristy all the time can be one sign of diabetes. Hope this helps!!

You need to discuss this with your pediatrician. Excessive thirst and urination can be a sign of diabetes. As the wife of person that has diabetes since he was eight I now watch for these signs in my daughter. So far she has not shown any of the symptoms.

i saw your response to everyone and just wanted to say good luck with everything and let us know what they tell you.