As a new parent, the last thing you want to see is your baby suffering. One of the most common concerns on every mother’s mind is stomach flu, resulting in your baby vomiting continuously. Dehydration can be a serious issue for babies, and it’s important to recognize the symptoms early on. Signs of dehydration in infants can include dry mouth, sunken eyes, decreased urine output, and fussiness. In more severe cases, dehydration cramps can also occur. When this happens, it’s essential to hydrate your child to compensate for the lost water.
But other than the water, you also need to replace the lost minerals such as sodium and potassium. Therefore, the perfect drink to give your child in such instances should be Pedialyte. But if Pedialyte isn’t at your disposal at the moment, there are other options you can use. If you have no idea which options are these, here’s an overview of the Pedialyte alternatives you should consider using.
In This Article
Coconut Water
One of the best Pedialyte alternatives you should consider giving your dehydrated baby is coconut water. It’s the perfect substitute because it’s filled with electrolytes since it contains different electrolytes, including sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, plus is low in sugar. This makes it an ideal natural solution for addressing any stomach issues your child might be experiencing.
Another advantage of coconut water is that it’s relatively sweet, so your baby shouldn’t have a hard time enjoying this drink. Some companies are nowadays adding different natural fruit flavorings to make the coconut water tastier. Drinking coconut water will also help your child remain in excellent health due to its antioxidant properties.
Some Herbal Teas
Certain herbal teas are excellent alternatives to Pedialyte despite tea, in many cases not being child-friendly. These herbal teas include mint, lemongrass, chamomile, and rooibos because they have a great taste and don’t contain any caffeine. Herbal teas also have other benefits, such as helping ease your child from any uneasiness they might be experiencing.
For instance, chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties meaning it helps if your child is suffering from intestinal inflammation. For this reason, it’s a popular drink to give your child when they’re experiencing nervousness due to indigestion, diarrhea, nausea, and gas.
Kid-Friendly Smoothies
Another great alternative to Pedialyte is giving your baby vegetable or fruit smoothies. There are different types of vegetables and fruits that you can use to make smoothies, including mangos, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, apples, bananas, kale, and cauliflower. Besides being rich in electrolytes, smoothies are also heavy, so you can be sure that your baby will be full.
When considering smoothies as an alternative to Pedialyte, it’s best to stay away from those sold at the restaurants or grocery stores. This is because they have added sugar and homemade versions are a better option.
Watermelon Water
You should also consider giving your baby watermelon water, which is a juice that’s been extracted from watermelon. When you don’t have access to Pedialyte, you should make a cup of 100% watermelon water that contains small quantities of electrolytes such as phosphorous and calcium. It also offers around 6% of the Daily Value (DV) for magnesium and potassium. With that said, watermelon water, like other fruit juices, contains low levels of sodium.
Unsweetened Plant-Based Milk
Giving your child unsweetened milk is a great option that provides your child with the much-needed electrolyte. Milk is usually extracted from;
- Oat
- Hemp
- Almond
- Pea
- Soy
- Rice
- Coconut
The best thing about unsweetened milk is that it doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners and lots of added sugars. This means they’re low in calories, thereby making them an excellent drink for your baby.
Naturally-Flavored Water
Regular tap water contains 2% to 3% electrolytes, including magnesium, calcium, and sodium. Therefore, you can also use it as a Pedialyte alternative, but there’s a likelihood your baby might not like its taste. If this happens, the other option you’re left with is adding some fresh herbs and fruits into the water to make it tastier without adding additional calories and sugars.
The best thing with natural-flavored water is that you can try out different combinations to see which one your baby likes. Some of the varieties you should consider are;
- Strawberries and lemon
- Lime and orange
- Cucumber and watermelon
- Raspberries and blueberries
- Mint and pineapple
After picking the combination that most appeals to your child, you should go ahead and place this fluid into an in-built infuser. This way, you’ll be able to ensure the electrolyte level in your child is well-balanced.
Takeaway
Pedialyte is essential for the baby’s well-being as it helps restore the body’s electrolyte and sugar balance. However, if it isn’t accessible and your baby is dehydrated, this guide has highlighted the other alternatives that are just as effective. Thanks to this, you need not worry about the well-being of your child.
