Definition
- Child drinks less than normal amounts of fluid
Causes
- Main cause: Sore mouth or throat.
- Common cause in infants: Blocked nose in bottle or breastfed infant (Reason: can't breathe while sucking).
- Common cause: Nausea from viral stomach infection without vomiting.
- Difficulty breathing with bronchiolitis or croup. (Reason: not enough energy to both suck and breathe)
Complication
When to Call Your Doctor for Drinking Fluids - Decreased
Call 911 If…
- Your child is not moving or very weak
Call Your Doctor Now (night or day) If
- Your child looks or acts very sick
- Signs of dehydration, such as:
- Has not urinated in over 8 hours
- Crying produces no tears
- Very dry mouth (rather than moist)
- Sunken soft spot
- Excessively sleepy child
- Too weak to suck or drink
- Refuses to drink anything for over 12 hours (8 hours if under 12 months old)
- Refuses to drink and new onset of drooling
- Could have swallowed a foreign body
- Wheezing or stridor with breathing
- Difficulty breathing not better after you clean out the nose
Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours (between 9 am and 4 pm) If
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Unexplained difficulty drinking and also has fever
- Poor drinking present over 3 days
Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours If
- You have other questions or concerns
Parent Care at Home If
- Drinking adequate amounts of fluid AND no signs of dehydration and you don't think your child needs to be seen
Home Care Advice for Decreased Fluid Intake
- Increase Fluid Intake: Give your child unlimited amounts of her favorite liquid (e.g., chocolate milk, fruit drinks, Kool-Aid, soft drinks, water). The type doesn't matter, since your child doesn't have diarrhea or vomiting.
- Solid Foods: Don't worry about solid food intake. It's normal for the appetite to fall off during illness. Preventing dehydration is the only important issue.
- For Sore Mouth:
- If the mouth is sore, give cold drinks.
- Avoid citrus juices.
- For infants, offer fluids in a cup, spoon or syringe rather than a bottle (Reason: The nipple may increase pain).
- Older child can use 1 teaspoon of a liquid antacid as a mouthwash 4 times per day after meals.
- Give acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) or ibuprofen for pain relief.
- For a Blocked Nose: Suction it out using warm water or saline nosedrops in infants and toddlers. Make saline nosedrops by adding ½ teaspoon of table salt to 1 cup (8 oz.) of warm water.
- For Shortness of Breath: For mild bronchiolitis or difficult breathing, offer small frequent (every ½ hour) feedings so the infant can rest briefly between them.
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Difficulty swallowing becomes worse
- Signs of dehydration
- Poor drinking present over 3 days
- Your child becomes worse
And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the "When to Call Your Doctor" symptoms.
Disclaimer: This information is not intended be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.
Author and Senior Reviewer: Barton D. Schmitt, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 1/19/2009
Last Revised: 8/5/2007
Copyright 1994-2009 Barton D. Schmitt, M.D.