infants The membranes inside the mouth may feel dry when touched. The skin may feel less resilient than usual (for example, it does not easily return to its original shape when pinched gently between the thumb and the forefinger). HOME CARE If a child shows any symptoms of dehydration, call your doctor. If the child is vomiting, stop the vomiting first. With any condition that causes fluid loss (including prolonged high fever), you should encourage your child to drink extra fluids. The best liquids to give a child with excessive fluid loss are commercial electrolyte solutions (available from your pharmacist), which supply necessary salts and sugar. Other good liquids are gelatin desserts (liquid or gelled), weak tea with sugar, fruit juices, and carbonated drinks, such as ginger ale and colas. Plain water is less helpful. Milk products should be avoided. PRECAUTIONS • Do not give milk or milk products to a child who is losing fluids. • If symptoms of dehydration develop, contact your doctor. The younger the child, the more urgent the situation. Diarrhea in infants can be very serious. • The amount of urine output is not an indication of dehydration in a diabetic child. MEDICAL TREATMENT Your doctor will diagnose and treat the condition that is causing dehydration. Your child may be admitted to a hospital to be given intravenous fluids and salts. The child may be tested for the amounts of salts and minerals in the body. RELATED TOPICS: Asthma: Bronchiolitis: Diabetes mellitus; Diarrhea in older children: Diarrhea in young children; Fever; Vomiting Quick Reference Diabetes mellitus SYMPTOMS • Increased hunger • Increased thirst • Frequent urination • Greater amounts of urine than usual • Sudden onset of bedwetting • Weight loss • Fatigue • Irritability • Deep, rapid breathing and unconsciousness (diabetic coma) HOME CARE • Do not try to treat on your own. See your doctor for diagnosis and instructions for home care. PRECAUTIONS • See your doctor if a toilettrained child suddenly begins regular bedwetting. • If there is diabetes in your family background, your child should be regularly screened for diabetes. • Untreated or uncontrolled diabetes can lead to dehydration.? Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the body does not properly process carbohydrates (sugars and starches). In children, it occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. Sugars and starches are the body's main sources of energy. When the body cannot properly turn sugars and starches into energy, abnormally high amounts of unused sugars are found in the blood and urine. Also, because the body must burn more fats for energy in place of sugars, ketone bodies (chemical compounds that are an end product of that process) are found in the urine. Diabetes can occur at any age. It appears in one in 2,500 children by the age of 15. The disease usually runs in families. The parents may or may not be diabetic. infectiosum