Medihub - Medical Information - In Focus - The Importance of Water for Children

The Importance of Water for Children

Some facts about water:

Water makes up 80% of the brain and is essential in the transmission of neurological signals
When we are thirsty, mental performance deteriorates by 10%
70 – 75% of a typical newborn’s body weight is water
Everyone should drink at least 15ml of water for every ¾ kg of body weight per day, more if you will be exercising strenuously
If a child is thirsty, he or she is already far behind in fluid intake. Feelings of thirst lag behind physical symptoms

According to a study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, more than 70% of preschool children never drink plain water. Experts believe this alarming trend is influenced by a cultural shift toward juices and sugary or caffeinated drinks. Children, who are influenced by adult models, imitate preferences for sweeter drinks.

Drinking water is directly linked to health in a number of important ways:

1. Water is needed to protect physical health and wellbeing. Hydration is essential to disease prevention and can diminish such health problems as headaches, bladder, kidney and bowel problems, and cancers of many types.

2. Water, rather than drinks made with sugar, fruit juice, acids, caffeine or sugar substitutes, has no association with the health problems linked to obesity. Many experts believe that sugar-filled drinks and sweet juices are a major contributor to childhood obesity.

3. Water is needed for optimum mental functioning and learning. Children concentrate better when they are not distracted by the effects of dehydration such as headaches, tiredness and irritability. In fact, one study among school age children reported a dramatic decrease in challenging classroom behavior when water was offered and encouraged three to four times throughout the day (in addition to meal times).