Water and Health: Is Your Child Drinking Enough?

Some children aren't drinking enough fluids, according to recent findings published in the American Journal of Public Health, leaving them dehydrated and potentially subsceptible to other illnesses.

Researchers at Harvard noticed that many children weren't consuming enough water when initially looking into the consumption of sugary drinks in schools.

For the study, they used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which gathers information from study participants via chemical tests in urine; urine samples can help reveal if individuals are adequately hydrated as those who don't drink enough water will typically have darker urine.

Findings revealed that over half of the several thousand students studied between 2009 and 2012 were somewhat dehydrated.

"This doesn't mean we're saying kids are dropping like flies or that they're very seriously dehydrated and need to go to the hospital or anything like that," lead study author Erica kenney of the school said.

However, she added that even mild dehydration levels can affect fatigue levels, mood and the ability to focus. 

The necessary amount of fluid intake may differ depending on age. For instance, children between the ages of 5 to 8 years old should be getting about 5 glasses or (1 litre) of water daily. For 9- to 12-year-olds, 7 glasses or 1.5 litres is good while 8 to 10 glasses or (2 litres) is recommended for children 13 and up.

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