Two in three children risk dehydration

NEARLY two-thirds of children are not drinking enough liquids at breakfast time to become properly hydrated, according to a study.

Researchers in Sheffield believe the analysis of more than 450 children between nine and 11 is the first of its kind in the UK.

It showed that 60 children were classed as “not sufficiently hydrated” – the stage just below “clinical dehydration”.

A team from the University of Sheffield Medical School looked at what the children were eating and drinking before leaving for school.

They also measured the concentration of the children’s urine, which is a key indicator of hydration levels.

Professor Gerard Friedlander, of the Descartes University Medical School in Paris, who oversaw the research, said: “We are concerned by the findings of the study, which suggest that children are not consuming enough fluid at the beginning of the day to be able to maintain adequate hydration through the morning.”

The European Food Safety Authority advises that boys aged between nine and 13 years old should take 2.1 litres of fluid a day and girls should have 1.9 litres.