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Don't drink too much water

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One of many things we were warned about in the hospital and also from the pediatrician when our son was born that it can be leathal to give too much water (& they specified water) to an infant or small child. Too taxing on the kidneys. I'll never forget that.

So sad for this to have happened.
 
Hyponatremia kills:(
Skunky, can you explain exactly what occurs? I haven't yet heard a health care professional really explain it other than references to electrolyte imbalances. I'm still not really clear on how it actually happens.
 
Skunky, can you explain exactly what occurs? I haven't yet heard a health care professional really explain it other than references to electrolyte imbalances. I'm still not really clear on how it actually happens.

This is oversimplified, but as the volume of fluid in your bloodstream rises tremendously(as was the case here) a hormone that regulates salt/water balance is 'turned off'. Essentially, the kidney can't perform the vital task of balancing sodium without the hormone being produced. Sodium is wasted in the urine to a point where cells all over the body that depend on sodium to run (and they all pretty much do!) fail. When the brain cells fail...game over:(
 
This is oversimplified, but as the volume of fluid in your bloodstream rises tremendously(as was the case here) a hormone that regulates salt/water balance is 'turned off'. Essentially, the kidney can't perform the vital task of balancing sodium without the hormone being produced. Sodium is wasted in the urine to a point where cells all over the body that depend on sodium to run (and they all pretty much do!) fail. When the brain cells fail...game over:(
Thanks!
 

You got it. Don't be scared to drink water...we seem to have had bottled water glued to our hands since the early 1990's and nobody has hydrated themselves to death. You have to drink an incredible amount of water to accomplish what happened to that poor lady.
 
You got it. Don't be scared to drink water...we seem to have had bottled water glued to our hands since the early 1990's and nobody has hydrated themselves to death. You have to drink an incredible amount of water to accomplish what happened to that poor lady.
There are other deaths in the media from drinking too much water, but I think you are right, many of us could probably stand to drink more water.
 
You got it. Don't be scared to drink water...we seem to have had bottled water glued to our hands since the early 1990's and nobody has hydrated themselves to death. You have to drink an incredible amount of water to accomplish what happened to that poor lady.

But if she was allowed to go to pee, she would have been fine right?
 
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