Evaluation of daily hydration in pediatric outpatients over 3 years old
J-P Mergnac1, R Desandes2, J Gosselin2
1Cabinet de pédiatrie, 4, rue Parmentier, 54270 Essey-lès-Nancy, France.
Insights
Many children aged 3-8 do not meet recommended daily beverage intake, highlighting a hydration gap. Pediatric consultations need to systematically address children's hydration with parents to improve intake.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Dietary Habits
Background:
- Proper hydration is crucial for children's physical and intellectual development.
- Hydration in children over 3 years is often overlooked in pediatric consultations.
- Assessing beverage consumption is key to understanding hydration status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the daily water and beverage consumption in children aged 3 to 8 years.
- To identify potential gaps between recommended and actual fluid intake.
- To analyze beverage preferences including water, milk, and sweetened drinks.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational study design.
- Inclusion of 200 healthy children aged 3-8 years in a French private pediatric practice.
- Data collection on daily water and beverage consumption patterns.
Main Results:
- A significant portion of children did not meet recommended beverage intake levels (62% in 3-4 year olds, 43% in 4-8 year olds).
- Water was the primary beverage (63%), followed by milk (19%) and sweetened drinks (17%).
- No significant risk factors for inadequate hydration were identified in this cohort.
Conclusions:
- A persistent discrepancy exists between recommended and observed total beverage intake in children.
- While results are robust, further systematic approaches are needed to address children's hydration.
- Personalized advice for parents and children, alongside public health initiatives, is recommended.
Abstract:
The topic of hydration of children over 3 years of age is often neglected in general pediatric consultations, even though proper hydration is essential for optimal physical and intellectual functions.
Objective:
To evaluate the daily water and beverage consumption of 3- to 8-year-old patients in a private pediatric practice through a retrospective observational study.
Method:
This single-centre study was conducted in a French private practice with five pediatricians and included 200 healthy children, aged 3-8 years.
Results:
Recommended intake of beverages was reached in 62% of 54 children in the 3- to 4-year-old group and 43% of the 146 children in the 4- to 8-year-old group. Recommended beverages intake of±20% was found in 55% of the 3- to 4-year-old group and 45% of the 4- to 8-year-old group. The potential risk factors of inadequate hydration could not be demonstrated in this study. Water alone was the predominant intake in 63% of the 200 children; milk accounted for 19%, and sweetened drinks for 17%.
Conclusions:
These results show a persistent gap between recommended and observed total beverage intake. Although our results are more robust than previous French and international published data, they remain insufficient. In the future, a systematic approach to hydration with parents and children is needed including personalised advice, while maintaining other public health interventions in schools and canteens.
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