Fluid and Electrolyte Balance in Infants and Children

Abstract

Fluids and electrolyte management in infants and children is continuously evolving as the understanding of fluid and electrolyte requirements is progressing. Postnatal transition marked by predictable changes in body water including contraction of extracellular volume and insensible fluid loss, primarily across the skin barrier. Knowledge of the fluid and electrolyte composition and maintenance of homeostasis at different stages of infancy and childhood are essential to the effective management of fluid and electrolyte deficit in infants and children undergoing surgery. Fluid therapy in infants in the intensive care unit may be guided using three clinical indicators: change in body weight, serum sodium concentration, and urine output.