Contents:
- Medical Video: That's Why Babies Can't Drink Water
- Many parents ignore the importance of children's drinking water needs
- How many children should drink water a day?
Medical Video: That's Why Babies Can't Drink Water
In one day, how much fluid does your child drink? Water needs for children should not be underestimated. Just like nutritional needs, maintaining normal fluid levels in the body is able to maintain the function of the organs of the body. If the child drinks enough water every day, the growth and growth will be maximal.
Well, some say that the need to drink water for children is the same as for adults, that is, at least eight glasses per day. Is it true? What if your child doesn't like to drink water?
Many parents ignore the importance of children's drinking water needs
Maybe all this time you have only focused on the nutritional needs that must be fulfilled by your child and missed his body's fluid needs. Even though the water needs of children are no less important to note.
Children need plenty of fluids. This depends on the size of his weight. Not to mention if the little one is very active, surely he needs a lot of drink to replace the liquid released from his activities.
Around70-80% of children's water needs are obtained from drinking water. The rest comes from food. This makes your child have to get used to drinking water regularly until the minimum needs are met.
However, unfortunately many parents don't realize that their children don't drink enough water. Because, a survey states that only 6.1% of children aged 11-12 years are accustomed to drinking water in the morning. While 24.4% of the other children only drank water when they ate lunch and 33.5% drank in the afternoon. This indicates that there are still many children who are not accustomed to drinking water according to their needs.
In fact, lack of drinking water can inhibit the development of the brain. A study revealed that mild dehydration experienced by children will interfere with their concentration in learning. This research proves that children who consume 250 ml of liquid are more than their minimum needs, tend to have better thinking and focusing skills than those who drink less.
How many children should drink water a day?
Actually, children's daily water needs are not much different from adults. For babies who are still breastfeeding, the fluid requirements reach the average as follows:
- 175-200 ml / kgBW / day in the first three months after birth.
- 150-175 ml / kgBW / day when the baby is 4-6 months old.
- 130-140 ml / kgBW / day for babies aged 7-9 months.
- 120-140 ml / kgBW / day when the baby is 10-12 months.
For children who are more than one year old, according to the 2013 nutritional adequacy rate determined by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, namely:
- 1-3 years: requires 1200 ml (4-5 glasses) of fluid per day.
- 4-6 years: requires 1500 ml (6 cups) of fluid per day.
- 7-9 years: requires as much as 1900 ml (7-8 glasses) of fluid per day.
- 10-18 years: requires 2000 ml (8 glasses) of fluid per day.
The numbers mentioned above are the minimum needs that your child must fulfill. If there is more activity, then you have to persuade the child to drink more water to prevent dehydration.
Sometimes, maybe you have persuaded your little one to get used to drinking water. However, most of them refused, because water felt bland and boring. Do not hesitate to continue to invite children to drink water. Because basically water is the safest and healthiest liquid for your little one to consume.
If you let them consume sweet drinks or other packaging drinks, then they will be at risk of chronic illness and obesity later in life. You can add water with fresh fruit into it, to add flavor to the water, so your child is more interested in drinking it.
