Children drink too little in hot weather

In today’s Daily Express, the well known nutritionist Anita Bean (she has written some great books on nutrition and sports for children!)   Click here for Anitas web stie. reported on a recent survey that children are not drinking enough during this hot weather. 

Im not surprised by the findings -  children do tend to be more at risk than adults of becoming dehydrated as they’re generally more active and may have difficulty recognising when they’re thirsty.  Having a variety of drinks including water, juices and squash readily available is the best way to keep children hydrated this summer. 

Did you know….?

• Children need proportionally more fluids than an adult
• Children do not always respond to thirst. Often they are just not bothered to stop what they’re doing, they may not have access to fluids or simply don’t like what is on offer!
• Dehydration in children may cause a lack of concentration and poor short term memory, fatigue, dry skin, irritability, craving sugar, less urination (dark coloured urine) and is a common cause of constipation
• Children will often grow at a faster pace in the summer versus the winter adding to their hydration needs
• All soft drinks can contribute to daily fluid needs including fruit juices, squashes, water and fizzy drinks
• Drinks will vary in their sugar content so by having different drinks throughout the day, it is easier to balance energy and hydration needs
• Although an excellentorm of hydration, drinking only water can become boring. Research shows that if children enjoy what they are drinking they are more likely to voluntarily stay hydrated