When your little one is not feeling well and is having trouble eating or drinking, it is time to consider adding an electrolyte supplement. Electrolytes are minerals including potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate, and they are found in all bodily fluids.

Electrolytes are responsible for maintaining many normal bodily functions including hydration, proper functioning of nerves, muscles, and chemicals, and building and breaking down molecules in the body. The mechanisms that allow you to move, speak, and even digest food would be impossible without an appropriate balance of electrolytes. Electrolytes and fluids can typically come from a healthful diet, and supplements are not usually needed for children who are feeling well and eating and drinking regularly.

But when your child is sick—with symptoms such as poor appetite, lack of thirst, and fluid losses—it is important to prioritize maintaining their electrolyte and fluid balance above all else. In order to do this, we recommend electrolyte supplements in combination with fluids. When purchasing an electrolyte supplement, make sure it contains a minimum of sodium, potassium, and sugar as either glucose or dextrose. If your child is taking in no solids at all, it would also be advisable to select a product that contains chloride. These nutrients allow a child’s body to continue essential daily functions while sick.

Is It Beneficial to Supplement with Electrolytes When My Child Is Sick?

Not only is it beneficial, but it is also recommended. If your child is a little under the weather but is eating and drinking normally, is not vomiting, and does not have diarrhea, they likely do not need an electrolyte supplement. However, if they are feeling ill and have no interest in eating, fluids and electrolytes become more important than solid foods, and an electrolyte supplement can become crucial.

Children experience electrolyte losses when ill in a number of ways. Children who may benefit from electrolyte supplements include:

• Children who are not taking in enough electrolytes or fluids. For example, with a common cold, some children present with a poor appetite. Reduced intake of fluids and solid foods can result in dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities.
• Children who are vomiting or have diarrhea: Excessive vomiting and diarrhea, coupled with poor appetite/fluid intake, can cause significant fluid loss and result in dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities.

Some more specific signs to look for include:

• Changes in urine output: Children with decreased urine output or concentrated/smelly urine will benefit from an electrolyte supplement.
• Extended time without eating, drinking, or urinating: If your child has gone greater than 8 hours without eating, drinking, or urinating while ill, make sure to give them an electrolyte supplement and call your pediatric healthcare provider.

Who May Not Benefit from Electrolyte Supplements When Sick

All children should be supplemented with electrolytes and fluid if they are sick enough that their appetite is affected or they have diarrhea or vomiting. The exception would be if your child has a metabolic illness that precludes them from consuming specific electrolytes.

The Importance of Sugar and Salt in Electrolyte Drinks

Keep in mind that some of the key ingredients you will want to look for in an electrolyte drink may be things that you may typically hear you should minimize in your child’s diet—namely, sugar and salt.

Sugar:

While the goal is not typically to increase sugar intake when children are healthy, it is crucial to look for added sugar in electrolyte drinks for children when they’re sick. There are two reasons sugar is added to electrolyte drinks: for energy and to help with fluid reabsorption. Much like electronics, humans need frequent battery charges to maintain their function. Unlike electronics, we cannot get our energy from a charger—we have to get it from food.

Our preferred energy source is a simple sugar called glucose, also called dextrose by some medical professionals. Adding glucose to sick-day supplements, something we are encouraged to drink when we have poor appetite and dehydration, gives our body an energy charge while we are low on battery. Additionally, glucose helps with the reabsorption of sodium and fluids. This is critical when we know someone who is sick is at a greater risk for dehydration.

Salt:

A healthy child’s diet generally contains plenty of salt, which is made up of the electrolytes sodium and chloride. However, kids who are sick and have poor intake and/or vomiting or diarrhea benefit from drinks that contain these key electrolytes.

Top 16 best drink for hydration when sick edit by Top Q&A

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