When your child has diarrhoea, increased amounts of fluids and electrolytes are lost from the body. In children, this fluid loss can be excessive and frequently leads to a more serious condition called dehydration. Dehydration can become dangerous even more quickly if your child is also vomiting.
Using Pedialyte® at the first signs of diarrhoea or vomiting can help reduce your child's risk of dehydration. Common household beverages like sports drinks, soda and juices contain large amounts of sugar. The sugar can draw water into the intestines and away from the rest of the body, making the diarrhoea worse and increasing the risk of dehydration. In addition, household beverages frequently do not contain the electrolytes children need to rehydrate quickly.
Potassium, sodium and chloride are minerals known as electrolytes. In the body, they are vital for proper cell function and growth.
For example, sodium helps your body absorb liquid and retain the liquid that you absorb. These electrolytes are often lost during episodes of diarrhoea and vomitting.
Household beverages, such as sports drinks, sweetened sodas or juices with too much sugar may make diarrhoea worse. When sugar level are too high, your body tries to dilute the sugar by drawing water from the blood stream into the intestine, which then causes diarrhoea.
Adults aren't as affected by these higher sugar levels. But since children's bodies are smaller, the effect can be more pronounced.
If you're trying Abbott Products for the first time, click here for a free sample.