Hydration and Cognitive Function in Children

Abstract

Adequate fluid intake is critical for survival. While adults are at liberty to drink fluids as wanted, children and infants are dependent upon caregivers for food and fluid. Children are at greater risk for dehydration than adults due to their higher surface-to-mass ratio. Additionally, children have different thirst sensitivities and body cooling mechanisms than adults. Children differ from adults in total body water content, and boys and girls differ in body water content with maturation. Research in young adults shows that mild dehydration corresponding to only 1% to 2% of body weight loss can lead to significant impairment in cognitive function. Dehydration in infants is associated with confusion, irritability, and lethargy; in children, it may produce decrements in cognitive performance.

Age-Dependent Brain Tissue Hydration, Ca Exchange and their Dose- Dependent Ouabain Sensitivity

“…there can be distinguished minimum 6 components, namely sensitive to 10 -10 -4 M (Figure 4). These data are in harmony with literature data on the existence of caveolae in cell membrane having different metabolic functions [50].…”

A study of fluid intake from beverages in a sample of healthy French children, adolescents and adults

“…In elderly individuals, one important effect of dehydration is an alteration of many crucial physical and mental functions that affect life expectancy (Ferry, 2005;Szinnai et al, 2005;Mentes, 2006). Similar, although not as dramatic, results have also been reported in children (D'Anci et al, 2006).…”

Water consumption, not expectancies about water consumption, affects cognitive performance in adults

“…This could be an idiosyncrasy of the current group, and should be a focus for replication. However, D'Anci, Constant and Rosenberg (2006) suggest that some of the counter-intuitive effects of hydration status on cognition may be expected because physiological processes can have either excitatory or inhibitory effects on cognition (see Edmonds et al, 2012 for a discussion). According to this account, one would predict that some processes may be impeded by water consumption, while others are aided.…”