Parents nowadays are facing one of the most common sicknesses of babies -diarrhoea and vomiting. When this happens, they are losing all of the vitamins and minerals they have consumed, causing their bodies to become dehydrated. Dehydration is a serious problem that may lead to the emergency room and even more serious complications.
With this, Pedialyte is used for the treatment of dehydration so as to replace fluids and minerals that are lost when a child has diarrhoea that is with or without vomiting. Pedialyte consist of a balance of salt, water and sugar. It replenishes fluids and electrolytes which were lost due to vomiting and diarrhoea. It also helps the intestines absorb water to prevent further dehydration.
However, moms should be aware of the guidelines and prescriptions, especially for toddlers and kids. If a child is under one year of age, it is recommended to consult with the child's doctor for the right dosage and the exact hours on when to administer it. For children over one year of age, small amounts of Pedialyte can be given every four to six hours. In this way, moms could ensure that the baby's body is getting the necessary minerals to help them stay hydrated and feel better.
On the other hand, using Pedialyte as often is not healthy at all and can be very dangerous for children. This has problematic ingredients like dextrose, artificial flavour, sucralose (splenda), acesulfame and FD&C Red #40, Blue#1. These can cause mainly ingesting tiny amounts of chlorinated pesticides, cause organ, genetic and reproductive damage, swelling of the liver and kidneys and the like.
There are many cases in which parents misuse the usage of Pedialyte, which in turn made their children addicted to it.
Thus, the misuse of prescription and over-the-counter medications in children is a critical area in which community health care providers, and pharmacists in particular, can make a great impact. Parents may unintentionally medicate their child with an inappropriate drug or dose, putting the child at risk for severe consequences.
