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CHAPTER
13Some Very Common Sicknesses
DEHYDRATION
Most children who die from diarrhea die because they do not have enough
water left in their bodies. This lack of water is called dehydration.
Dehydration results when the body loses more liquid than it takes in. This can
happen with severe diarrhea, especially when there is vomiting too. It can also
happen in very serious illness, when a person is too sick to take much food or liquid.
People of any age can become dehydrated, but dehydration develops more
quickly and is most dangerous in small children.
Any child with watery diarrhea is in danger of dehydration.
It is important that everyone—especially mothers—know the signs of dehydration
and how to prevent and treat it.
Signs of dehydration:
• thirst is often a first, early sign of dehydration
• little or no urine; the urine is dark yellow
• sudden weight loss
• dry mouth
• sunken, tearless eyes
• sagging in of the ‘soft spot’
in infants
• loss of elasticity or
stretchiness of the skin
Lift the skin between two fingers, like this . . .
If the skin fold does not fall
right back to normal, the child
is dehydrated.
Very severe dehydration may cause rapid, weak pulse (see Shock, p. 77),
fast, deep breathing, fever, or seizures (fits, convulsions, p. 178).
When a person has watery diarrhea, or diarrhea and vomiting, do not wait for
signs of dehydration. Act quickly—see the next page.