Yesterday was the first day that all my children were healthy and back to their normal bodily functions.  Ten days!  That is how many days we had a very yucky bug running through my children.  This bug tried its best on me, but my  immune system must be a little tougher because I was only minimally affected for 1 day.  One thing I noticed is that I very often heard people saying, “Be careful of dehydration!”  or “Don’t let them get dehydrated!”  I realized over the course of those days that I didn’t really know what to look for with dehydration.  It must be really bad if so many people are warning me of it.  I figured, if I didn’t know what the signs of dehydration were, then there are probably a lot of people out there who might also be wondering what to look for in their sick loved ones.  Dehydration usually occurs from vomiting or diarrhea  and children are its biggest victims.  Here is a list of some of the signs that your child may be dehydrated.

1. dryer diapers than normal or infrequent urination
2. lethargy
3. irritability
4. crying without tears
5. sunken eyes
6. dry mouth or tongue

Some of these signs are tricky since most likely your child is sick anyway and exhibits these signs already.  Be sure your child is getting frequent sips of Pedialyte, flat clear soda, broth, even if it seems like they might just throw it up later.  It is important that they get liquids.