Assessing Dehydration

Dehydration can be a real concern with our infant patients and the signs can often be subtle, like dry mucosal membranes and a lack of tears while crying. One reliable indicator of the progresson of

dehydration in infants is urine output. While urine output in children and adults can vary significantly, infants can be relied on to produce 4 – 10 wet diapers per day. Ask the parents and check the diaper pail. An infant that comes up short on the diaper count should be cause for concern.