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Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
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Ency. home > Disease > D > Dehydration

Dehydration   

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Definition:

Dehydration means the body does not have enough fluids to function at an optimal level.  Dehydration can be caused by fluid loss (through vomiting, diarrhea or excessive urination), inadequate intake, or a combination of both. The most common cause of dehydration in infants and children is acute gastroenteritis, with its associated vomiting and diarrhea.

Dehydration is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on the percentage of body weight lost during the acute illness: Depending on age,

  • Mild dehydration -- a loss of 3-5% of body weight
  • Moderate dehydration -- a loss of 6-10% of body weight
  • Severe dehydration -- a loss of more than 9-15% of body weight. This is a life-threatening emergency!

Causes and Risks

Because of their smaller body weights and higher turnover rates for water and electrolytes, infants and children are more susceptible to dehydration than adults. Causes of dehydration include excessive fluid losses, inadequate fluid intake, or a combination of these factors.

Causes of acute fluid loss include:

Dehydration can also occur from inadequate intake as in: Dehydration in children is most often a combination of both as in:
  • gastroenteritis with vomiting and diarrhea
  • acute illness where the child refuses fluids and loses excessive fluid through sweating with fever

Ency. home > Disease > D > Dehydration

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