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Detection of voluntary dehydration in paediatric populations using non-invasive point-of-care saliva and urine
Nur Faidah1,2, Gita V Soraya2,3, Michael Erlichster4
1Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Muhammadiyah University, Makassar, Indonesia.
Insights
Many healthy children experience voluntary dehydration. This study found that point-of-care salivary osmolarity (SOSM) sensors and urine specific gravity (USG) can effectively assess hydration status in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Biomarkers
- Non-invasive diagnostics
Background:
- Voluntary dehydration is prevalent in healthy children, posing health risks.
- Current dehydration biomarkers are often impractical for routine pediatric use.
- Non-invasive assessment tools are needed for pediatric hydration monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate two non-invasive tools for assessing hydration in healthy children: urine specific gravity (USG) and a point-of-care (POC) salivary osmolarity (SOSM) sensor.
- To determine the prevalence of voluntary dehydration in a pediatric cohort using these tools.
Main Methods:
- Healthy children (n=139) were assessed using colorimetric USG and a handheld SOSM system.
- Hydration status was determined by comparing observed values against established thresholds (USG ≥ 1.020, SOSM ≥ 70 mOSM).
- Concordance between USG and SOSM parameters was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Using a USG threshold of 1.020, 42.4% of children were classified as dehydrated.
- The same dehydration prevalence (42.4%) was observed using the SOSM threshold of 70 mOSM.
- Significantly higher SOSM values were found in dehydrated children (USG ≥ 1.030).
Conclusions:
- A significant portion of healthy children exhibit voluntary dehydration, identifiable by both USG and POC SOSM.
- POC SOSM sensors show promise as a practical tool for assessing hydration in pediatric populations.
- This study establishes a foundation for further research into POC SOSM utility in diverse clinical settings.
Aim:
Voluntary dehydration, or lack of fluid intake despite water availability, is common in otherwise healthy children, and can lead to adverse effects. Most dehydration biomarkers are impractical for routine assessment in paediatric populations. This study aimed to assess two non-invasive hydration assessment tools, urine specific gravity (USG ) and a novel point-of-care (POC) salivary osmolarity (SOSM) sensor, in healthy children.
Methods:
Volunteers were tested by colorimetric USG and a handheld SOSM system. Observed values were compared against previous studies to determine hydration status, as was the concordance between parameters.
Results:
At the common USG threshold of 1.020, 42.4% of the 139 healthy children were dehydrated. The same prevalence was found using the 70-mOSM cut-off value. Comparative analysis of SOSM at varying USG thresholds demonstrated significantly higher SOSM in dehydrated children with a USG ≥ 1.030 (P = 0.002).
Conclusion:
At the USG threshold of 1.020 and SOSM threshold of 70 mOSM, 42.4% of healthy children were found to be voluntarily dehydrated. Significantly higher SOSM was observed in dehydrated children (USG ≥ 1.030). As the first study on the utility of POC SOSM measurements for detecting dehydration, these results provide a foundation for future POC characterisation of SOSM in other populations and clinical contexts.
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