Evaluation of daily hydration in pediatric outpatients over 3 years old.

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.