Fluid needs of children under five years of age 2

How important is the need for fluids in the human body? Very important. The reason is, 50 percent of the human body consists of water, so if it lacks water reserves it can make the body dehydrated and experience various health problems. This condition also applies to toddlers aged 2-5 years. The following is an explanation of the fluid needs of children under five that parents need to pay attention to.

Why is fluids an important requirement for children under five?

Considering that water is the most abundant content in the human body, of course its role is not arbitrary. Following are the functions of fluids in the body needs of children under five to adults:

Helps the body remove waste (especially from urine)
Maintain a healthy body temperature, through sweating and breathing when the temperature is rising
The main ingredient is saliva
Keep joints lubricated
Transport protein and carbohydrates from food to provide energy to the body
Regulate the child's weight
Make children more focused

The fluid needs of children under five are not only obtained from water, but also foods that contain high water content, such as fruits and vegetables.

When the body doesn't have enough water or is dehydrated, this can make the body weak and not excited for activities.

In the most severe cases, dehydration can make toddlers sick easily. Water can fight dehydration, refreshes the body, and contains no calories.

Dehydration in toddlers can cause several health problems, such as diarrhea, stomach pain, or loss of appetite.

In this condition, parents or caregivers should look for signs of dehydration in children because they usually do not understand the early symptoms of dehydration. The following are signs of dehydration in children:

Urinating less frequently
Dry diaper without urinating for 3 hours
Do not come out of tears when crying
Dry lips
Dry mouth
Sluggish
Easily sleepy
Heartbeat and fast breathing
Dry, sticky mucus on the tongue or lining of the mouth

If your little one experiences the above, immediately contact the doctor for consultation. To prevent this, you can do home care by providing your toddler with fluid-rich nutrition to meet their daily needs.

How much fluid do children 2-5 years of age need?

Quoting from the Kids Health page, the amount of fluid needed for toddlers depends on the age, size of the child's body, health, activity level, to the weather (air temperature and humidity level).

Usually, toddlers will drink more when they are actively moving, such as playing sports or playing physical games.

Based on the 2013 Nutritional Adequacy Rate (RDA), the fluid needs for toddlers aged 2-5 years are:

Toddlers aged 1-3 years: 1200 ml
Toddlers aged 4-6 years: 1500 ml

The figure for the fluid needs of children under five does not have to come from plain water or mineral water, but it can be from UHT milk or formula that is consumed daily.

You can give water when you wake up in the morning, after eating, or when you finish exercising.

After exercising or active activities, children need fluids to replenish the fluids lost through sweat. Milk can be given as a distraction or when your little one is going to bed.

Toddlers aged 2-5 years are very active and need a lot of water to replace lost fluids. Toddlers tend to become dehydrated more easily because they often ignore thirst when playing.

Healthy food and drinks to meet the fluid needs of children under five

To deal with dehydration, you need to meet the fluid needs of children under five. Apart from plain water, there are several foods rich in nutrients and water that can be consumed by your little one so that their fluid needs are still fulfilled, here is the list:

Watermelon

This red fleshy fruit has a water content of 92 percent and can keep the body well hydrated. Given its very high water content, watermelon has a low calorie density.

Based on Indonesian Food Composition Data, 100 grams of watermelon contains 92 ml of water, 28 calories of energy, and 6.9 grams of carbohydrates. In addition, watermelon is rich in powerful antioxidants, including lycopene.

Lycopene is a compound that can reduce oxidative damage to cells. It has been linked to heart disease and diabetes.

You can meet the fluid needs of children aged 2-5 years by making watermelon as a snack. You can make fruit slices or mix mayonnaise with other fruit into a salad.

Strawberry

After watermelon, the fruit that has a high water content is strawberries. About 91 percent of strawberries are water. Therefore, strawberries can be a source of additional fluids for your little one through food.

Not only are they high in water content that can meet the fluid needs of children under five, strawberries also contain fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

You can give your little one whole strawberries which can reduce the risk of inflammation in the body. For adults and the elderly, strawberries can also help protect against Alzheimer's and various types of cancer, according to research from the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Orange

Besides being rich in vitamin C, this orange fleshy fruit also contains 88 percent water. Indonesian Food Composition Data states that 100 grams of oranges contain 87 ml of water and 46 calories of energy. Vitamin C and potassium in oranges play a role in boosting the immune system.

Quoting from a book entitled Flavonoids Health Benefits and Their Molecular Mechanism, oranges are also rich in disease-fighting antioxidants that can prevent cell damage by reducing inflammation.

The water and fiber in oranges make the stomach full faster and help your toddler's appetite to be more controlled. A well hydrated body is also an important factor for smooth urination in toddlers.

Coconut water

If your little one doesn't like plain water, you can give coconut water as a substitute to keep him hydrated. Not only is it high in water content, coconut water is also rich in electrolytes, including potassium, sodium and chloride.

Coconut water is perfect for drinking after finishing physical activity, such as sports or running. Given that toddlers aged 2-5 years are very active, giving coconut water can replace fluids that are lost from their bodies. Not only refreshing, coconut water is also healthy because there is no added sugar.

Cucumber

At 100 grams of cucumber, contains 97.9 ml of water which is very good for the fluid needs of children under five.

Not only water, cucumbers also contain vitamin K, potassium, and magnesium. Cucumbers are also low in calories because they only contain 8 calories of energy, making them a perfect snack for your little one.

If you get bored of being given it whole, you can make cucumbers as a salad or ingredients for sandwich along with eggs, lettuce, and ketchup, and mayonnaise.

Yogurt

Meeting the fluid needs of children under five is not only from water, it can also be through yogurt which contains 88 ml of water from 100 ml of yogurt.

Not only that, but yogurt also contains 52 calories of energy, 2.5 grams of fat, and 3.3 grams of protein. Calcium, phosphorus, and potassium are also present in yogurt which improves bone health in toddlers.

For your little one, you can give yogurt as a mixture for a salad with fruit as a variation so you don't get bored.