Rehydrating

Hi...I used to be a competitive swimmer and know that immersion in cool water DEhydrates you...we used to end up with "prune" fingers and need to drink a lot of water after we swam. So it would be counterproductive to put your child in water to try to hydrate him. It has to do with the chemical balance of water in the body and the chemical composition of water outside the body, the body's water is actually drawn out of the body by immersion in a bath or pool of water.

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I wouldn't bet my life on it but I doubt it. How about Pedialyte or Gatorade or that type of thing. I think he really needs to drink to rehydrate.

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Hi A.,

It is important that you and your baby drink healthy water to rehydrate. Healthy water has nutrients in it and filtered.

If you need more info just email me and I can share more.

____@____.com

Have a great day.

Happy Mother's Day

N. Marie

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My son didn't want to drink anything while he had a really high fever, so I resorted to my mother's old standbuy--ginger ale. Not a big one for sodas, I bent the rules and got him to take sips of the ginger ale laced with a bit of pedialyte. The pediatrician said it was okay (if he didn't throw up) to give him some crackers to eat (something salty), to encourage him to drink more. He didn't want any of the crackers I tried (Premiuim, Ritz, etc.), so I tried popcorn. He ate some popcorn and then wanted something to drink. Success!

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I became somewhat dehydrated during the end of my first pregnancy, and was told to take a bath with epsom salts because the body absorbs the bath water by osmosis. So, yes, it is true.

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I'm finishing up a nutrition class and found that the best a bath will do is help with the surface skin cells...for a little while. The only way to truly rehydrate is to do it from the inside - water or pedialyte.

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All of the suggestions are excellent ones. Nice to see such a successful site. Another suggestion -- if the child has a high fever and will not drink, which can happen with a sore throat, use a spray mister and spray the tongue frequently while the child is awake. This has worked with a few grandchildren who ran high fevers, and was recommended by the pediatrician.

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No, it's not. It helps with cooling a fever or soothing skin. It does not hydrate. Hydration comes from the inside out. Be sure he drinks enough water, juice, milk every day. If he is sick you can avoid the milk juice and just use pedialyte. My son has had two fevers now and pedialyte was the best. He liked it (even though it tastes icky to me) and it kept him peeing in diapers enough to know he was not seriously dehydrated and could continue fighting the fever without any deydration issues. I had to resort to using the bottle again temporarily(he's 23 mo. and had been weaned from it) in order for him to drink lots of it. Kids just don't drink as much from cups. This is ok if they are healthy because they drink less more frequently, but not when they are sick - they need LOTS of fluids.

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HI, I used a cool bath to help get him to drink water. The only time he would drink water was in a bath tub with cool water. My son would only swallow water if it was bottle water that I opened in front of him. Then I would fill it with tap water while he slept and then he was fine. My son had this thing about food and drinks. I learned the hard way. My son spent a week in the icu for complications from the stomach flu. If your son is old enough buy a bottle of water open it in front of him and have him drink it through a funny straw. My son could never stand the taste of gatorade or pedialyte. My son doesn't like popcycles or icecream that was out. Tell him your tummy needs water every 5 minutes or so. 1 sip every 5 minutes while he is awake should help. I used the water to relax his tummy muscles so drinking was easier less vomiting. My son gets very sick and requires hospitalizations for the stomach flu. He has a hard time fighting it on his own. good luck.

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A cool bath will cool down a warm child, but water is not absorbed through the skin into the blood so cannot rehydrate- try giving water, juice, or popcicles

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I don't know if a cool bath actually rehydrates you but when I feel dehydrated I like to take a luke warm or cool bath and I always feel better. Hope that helps.

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I've never heard that before. If you think your child is dehydrated, besides water, you can try some pedialtye or gatorade.

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Dear A.,
I haven't heard of this one.
A cool bath can help if your child is dehydrated partially due to running a fever as it can help bring down the body temp.
But I'm pretty sure the only way to rehydrate a child is getting liquids INSIDE their body.

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Only fluids taken orally or by IV will rehydrate. The fluids must be absorbed internally by the body. A cool bath will cool the body, and by lowering the body temperature, a child will not lose fluids through sweat and rapid breathing. The skin is an execretory organ, so push the oral fluids to rehydrate what has been lost to vomiting, diarrhea, fever and sweating.

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If you are trying to hydrate the skin for atopic dermatitis or eczema, then my allergist suggests to do the following....

1. Take cool, soaking baths for at least 20 minutes per day.
2. Use Dove Unscented soap for baths
3. WHILE WET: Apply Aveeno Cream or Eucerin Cream
4. Pat Dry Gently. Do not rub dry.
5. Dress in cool, loose fitting clothes with no ticklish fibers next to the skin.

If your child is dehydrated due to excessive vomiting or diarrhea, that is another story. You can try Pedialyte (both flavored or unflavored), Pedialyte freezer pops, or just plain water. Juice & sports drinks have too much sugar & can make diarrhea worse. Good luck!

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Hi A.,
I agree with the other two moms... Is your son sick with a fever? My son had the croup once and ran a very high fever. The doctor suggested a cool bath to help regulate his temp. For hydration, the doc wanted my son to get any liquid down possible - breast milk, water, diluted apple juice, soup - anything because his body was using up so much energy fighting the fever. If he is sick and you have any questions - call the doctor's office. They should have someone on staff at all hours to answer your questions.

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