The "Must Knows" of Outdoor Hydration in Children

Children enjoying fresh, ripe fruit is one of the great ways to
help keep them hydrated this summer while outdoors.

It is true.  Our children overheat much easier than adults while outdoors in the summer heat.  I notice this easily with  my 3 year-old son.  His little face gets red quickly when running around in the heat!  The more humid the weather, the more my little guy and your children are at risk for heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and fatal heat stroke.  While we are encouraged to head outdoors throughout the summer, let's do some proper planning so we can avoid any emergency room visits due to overeating bodies.  Some of the non-nutritive things we can do to prevent overheating include wearing light-colored and lightweight clothing (or even wicking-type material that allows more air through the clothing), using water to cool the body via swimming, sprinklers or spray bottles, or periodically going into shaded areas.  Outdoor explorations at the very beginning of the day or even toward the evening times are also a good consideration.  That way, we avoid the heat of the day.

But proper hydration is a vital key in maintaining normal body temperatures while outdoors.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a child be well-hydrated prior to any prolonged physical activity.  During the activity, the following amounts of water should be consumed every 20 minutes even if the child does not feel thirsty (cold water is generally more palatable):

--> 5 ounces for children > 3 years of age weighing up to 88 pounds
--> 9 ounces for children and adolescents >88 pounds

The most accurate way to rehydrate is to weigh the child before and after physical activity - then replenish accordingly by loss.  For excessive sweating and/or high intensity physical activity greater than >1 hour, the American Academy of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends an electrolyte replacement drink such as Gatorade®, POWERADE® or CeraSport® (I happen to like the quality of CeraSport® the best).  These beverages are good for prolonged outdoor activities that do not allow for snack stops using food (see below).  These beverages replenish water, but also essential minerals that are lost through sweat.

Food Sources for Hydration
If your outdoor activity allows for snacking, take advantage of the food sources that can assist with hydration alongside the cold water supply.  Since it is vital for our children to stay hydrated, we want to choose some snacks that they are sure to consume.  Again, for the high sweat factor and prolonged outdoor activities, we need water plus sugar, potassium, magnesium which are the essential nutrients lost in perspiration.  Choose a combination of healthy sweetness and healthy saltiness.  My choices are:

1. Fresh fruit.  Fruit is actually 80-90% made of water and it contains most of the electrolytes needing replishment.  Keep cut-up pieces of ripe fruit ready for your children to grab and enjoy.  Fruit such as watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, mango and pineapple are great choices that can be eaten separately or even put on skewers to make a nice, tasty kabob.  Or, you can make some frozen yogurt fruit smoothies for them to enjoy.  See my easy peasy recipe that was featured in the Dallas Moms Blog earlier this month.  The yogurt provides more mineral replacement and quality protein.  My daughter loves them!

2. Salted nuts.  Salted nuts of any variety are great snacks to keep outdoors for your children to grab and refuel during and after physical activities.  The sodium on the salted nuts fill the mineral gap that the fruit does not supply.  However, be careful of any children that might be playing outside that might have a nut allergy.  If you have anyone present with a nut allergy, consider using other salty foods such as popcorn or whole grain crackers.

Keep children that have had an illness involving diarrhea or vomiting indoors for at least 24 hours following their illness.  And make a call to your doctor to discuss special hydration considerations for children with medical conditions before heading into the heat - especially for lengths greater than one hour.  All parents would benefit from reviewing the signs and symptoms of all heat-related illnesses before heading outdoors.  The more your family is prepared, the more time you can spend enjoying your time together outside!  Our family is headed out geocaching in the morning with our fresh reminder on proper outdoor hydration to avoid heat-related illnesses.  How about yours?