Child development and health are closely related to water in all its aspects and disregarding this fact, can lead to serious consequences to it’s health.
Did you know that acute child dehydration leads to a reduction in both mental and physical performance?
Water And Child Health
What are children’s water needs?
When a child is born, its water needs for healthy growth and development are supplied initially by water in the milk it drinks and then by water intake itself.
Children need more water than adults because they grow – Remember, each new cell that forms has to be filled up mainly with water.
The growth hormone and other water regulators drive the thirst mechanism and the body’s calls for water. Because of that children are constantly and naturally dehydrated. The process of cell expansion and division uses up a great deal of water.
Parents should become aware of the volume of water their children drink. It’s their responsibility to educate and discourage addiction to manufactured colored drinks.
Once the body is dehydrated, the internal temperature rises and the body, particularly the brain, overheats. This process takes place much more quickly in a child than in an adult and kids do need to drink more water to maintain good health.
Child Dehydration
Child development can be affected by dehydration
As per the US National Institute of Health: Children need more water than adults because of their large consumption of energy, so they should always have unlimited access to water
- A loss of 2% of body fluids causes a 20% reduction in child performance in both physical and mental activities.
- Dehydration in excess of 3% may lead to heat stroke, a condition to which children are much more prone than adults.
Dehydration can affect child’s brain – water makes up about 80% of the brain and is an essential element in neurological transmissions. There is evidence to show that cognitive performance decreases by 10% in healthy young adults when they are thirsty. The key to boosting the capacity to learn is frequent small drinks of water throughout the day (ideally from a personal water bottle within arm’s reach).
Overall Child Development can be affected by dehydration. That’s why children should drink water at regular intervals and not wait until they are thirsty. In his book called: ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus: Eradicate Asthma – Now! Dr. by F. Batmanghelidj teaches us about how drinking water is directly related to the prevention and cure of childhood asthma without medication..
Child Dehydration Symptoms
If your child had fever or diarrhea, is vomiting, or participates in intense physical activity, you should watch for signs of dehydration, which can include:
- dry or sticky mouth
- few or no tears when crying
- eyes that look sunken into the head
- soft spot (fontanelle) on top of baby’s head that looks sunken
- lack of urine or wet diapers for 6 to 8 hours in an infant (or only a very small amount of dark yellow urine)
- lack of urine for 12 hours in an older child (or only a very small amount of dark yellow urine)
- dry, cool skin
- lethargy or irritability
- fatigue or dizziness in an older child
How To Avoid Child Dehydration
A child can be shown how to check urine – the production of large amounts of pale urine indicates good hydration. Dark urine indicates a degree of child dehydration
The child’s thirst mechanism is also less developed than that of an adult and tend to appear only once dehydration is already happening. Children should therefore be encouraged to drink water – clean water – even if they are not thirsty.
The Harmful Effects Of Soft Drinks For Child Development
There is a growing concern in the medical and scientific communities about the harmful effects associated with artificial soft drinks:
Children consume many more carbonated beverages than adults.
Scientific studies have shown how as few as one or two soft drinks a day can increase one’s risk for numerous health problems.
Some of these health problems are:
- obesity,
- diabetes,
- tooth decay,
- osteoporosis,
- nutritional deficiencies,
- heart disease,
- and many neurological disorders.
It is generally understood that soft drinks, even though they contain a large number of calories, have little nutritional benefit and are known as “empty calories”.
Most of the calories in soft drinks are from refined sugars, and there are no other nutritionally beneficial components in soft drinks.
Dr. Charles Best, the discoverer of insulin, claims that teenagers who consume too many soft drinks have cirrhosis of the liver similar to what chronic alcoholics have.
There is no cure for cirrhosis of the liver except to receive a new liver through a transplant.
A common problem that is associated with consumption of a large number of soft drinks is the increased acid levels throughout the body.
All soft drinks are very acidic, but dark colas such as Coke and Pepsi are much more acidic.
Soft drinks also contain caffeine, which dehydrate the body.
William Frazier states,
“in order to neutralize a glass of cola, it takes 32 glasses of high ph alkaline water.”
“The most commonly associated health risks from drinking soft drinks are:
child obesity, diabetes and other blood sugar disorders, tooth decay, osteoporosis and bone fractures, nutritional deficiencies, heart disease, food addictions and eating disorders, neurotransmitter dysfunction from chemical sweeteners, and neurological and adrenal disorders from excessive caffeine.” says Judith Valentine , Ph.D., CNA, CNC
Children Eating Healthy
Not only bad drinking habits affect child development, but bad nutrition habits too
It is a fact today that processed foods and fast foods loaded with chemicals and without nutritional value have a dramatic increase in diabetes and other diseases related to childhood obesity.
As much as dinking water is important for their growth and development, healthy food is a must in a child diet. Parents should be more cautios when it comes to children and healthy eating.
The body, especially children’s body need fruits and green vegetables dail, as well as good proteins. Give children organic foods, without pesticides, antibiotics, growing hormons, or other toxic additives.
Children Exercise
Child development and overall health is related to exercise and outdoor activities
Nowadays children became addicted to computer games and television and the outdoor activities have become almost a thing from the past. No wander a lot kids today are overweighed and have a lot of health problems.
Sitting in front of televisions or computer monitors, we are bombarded with an electromagnetic frequency of around 100 to 160 Hz. Our brainwaves however, vibrate at around 8 Hz., a rate that equals the Schuhmann-Resonance-Frequency
Studies show that excessive television viewing has been blamed for increasing rates of childhood obesity and for aggressive behavior, as well as week results in their mental performance.
Researches also show that kids who spent over two hours per day watching any kind of screen had a 60% higher risk of psychological difficulties. Those who spent at least two hours watching a TV screen, and two hours plus at a computer monitor per day, had double the risk level.
Read more on the Negative Ions page.
Research indicates that physical activity, especially when it’s done outdoors, is very important for child development because it promotes:
- general health through
- cardiovascular fitness
- mental alertness
- weight control
- improved sleep quality
- improved ability to handle infection
- reduced risk for some cancers
- maximum bone density
- optimal physical function to support independence in daily activities
- optimal psychological and social well-being by improving self-confidence and the ability to interact socially with peers.
Atmospheres charged with water particles like near lakes, rivers, sea or even forests and gardens contain high amounts of electrically charged particles very beneficial for our bodies, especially children.
Children with weakness or motor skill delays can excel in the water, particularly if it is presented as an opportunity for recreation and independent exploration rather than a situation where an adult places demands on the child to exercise. See Water Activities for Kids page.
Sunlight And Vitamin D
Sunlight is very important in child development. Sun is responsible for creating the vitamin D, which facilitate the production of Calcium in the body.
Rickets, is a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency. It causes weack bones and malformation of bones in children. It has been discovered that a daily dose of cod liver oil, or simply increase the sunlight exposure could prevent a lot of medical consitions.
