Dehydration is a loss of body fluids, which are made up of water and salts. When sick children vomit or have diarrhea, they can lose large amounts of water from their bodies and can become dehydrated very quickly. Healthy children can spit up, vomit, or have a loose stool once in a while without being in danger of dehydrating. Dehydration can be very dangerous, especially for babies and toddlers. Children can even die if they are not treated.
Diarrhea is a very common problem in childhood.
Usually, it is mild and brief. Sometimes, it can be severe, especially in infants. Every child has a different pattern of bowel movements, so it is sometimes difficult to tell if a child has diarrhea or just a loose bowel movement. A child has diarrhea if there are more bowel movements than usual, or if stools are less formed and more watery than usual. Diarrhea germs are easily spread from person to person, and especially from child to child.