I'm not sure of an actual scale for dehydration but the items the physician
assessed include:
moisture of mucous membranes, turgor of skin, heart rate (tachycardia is an
early sign), urine output, capillary refill (If you press on the bottom of
the foot held at the level of the heart the number of seconds it takes for
the white mark to resolve - should be less than 2-3 second) and mental status
(reaction to parents for example). The most accurate measure is documented
weight loss, although 5-7% (about) is normal in the first few days. The
things I would tell a parent are to look for urine output (6 wet diapers/24
hours and alert baby. Lack of urine (that is real and no just because of
absorbtion in diaper means that the child is 10% dehydrated which is quite
serios. Capillary refill >3 seconds and heart rate>180 (baby not crying) are
signs of shock and a true emergency. Hope this helps
--
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*  Deena Zimmerman MD MPH                          *
*  Department of Pediatrics                        *
*  UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School        *
*  1 RWJ Place                                     *
*  New Brunswick, NJ 08903                         *
*                                                  *
*      phone (908) 235-7248                        *
*      fax   (908) 235-7345                        *
*      email  [log in to unmask] (internet)        *
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