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AIBU?

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Original poster

How long without food and water (dd aged 7)

64 replies

Lucyellensmum100 · 01/09/2012 17:00

DD bit her tongue really badly ysterday, i posted in children health already, she has not eaten since 2pm yesterday and only accepted the smallest sips of water, but i would say that she hasn't had 100ml of liquid over the past 24 hours. I'm not worried about her eating, that will come but she wont take any drink and she MUST be dehydrated by now. Have been to hospital about the tongue yesterday and she was given paracetemol/ibruprofen and advised to let it heal. Am thinking that she maybe just needs another nights sleep for things to heal more but is that OK? would you be pitching up at the hospital yet?

OP posts:
Svrider · 01/09/2012 17:02

How old is dd
Is she producing urine
Have you tried her with juice/ milk etc...?

GiserableMitt · 01/09/2012 17:02

I'd be worried about the lack of liquids, especially this long.

Can you try giving her a straw so she can kind of bypass her tongue? This used to work for DS when he was a toddler and frequently put his teeth into his lip.

RedHelenB · 01/09/2012 17:05

Ice pops?

ParaOlympicpark · 01/09/2012 17:07

Poor thing, that must be really sore. Ice cubes? It might also numb her tongue ifit hurts. Or maybe give her some pain killers and then she might it be as reluctant to sip? Could you kind of squeeze a sponge into her mouth so she doesn't have to use her tongue?

Wigglewoo · 01/09/2012 17:07

I would second the straw idea and put some ice in the drink.

Flat coke (as I was told in a and e!) Is very good at rehydration for children as it tastes sugary and you're more likely to get them to drink it than those rehydration sachets which are quite frankly vomit inducing.

JessePinkman · 01/09/2012 17:09

Poor dd. How about a little sponge for her to suck a bit of water from?
It should heal quite quickly I think. Check the colour of her urine if you can to make sure it's not getting too dark.

Original poster
Lucyellensmum100 · 01/09/2012 17:10

all of the above suggestions are great and we have tried them all :( That was the doctors advice, cold stuff - she nodded enthusiastically at loads of icecream but just wont even put anything near her mouth, i think she is just plain scared. It was a really really bad cut, she put her two adult teeth right through nearly :( i think i need to phone nhs direct don't i?

OP posts:
Original poster
Lucyellensmum100 · 01/09/2012 17:12

Jesse - she hasn't had a wee all day - thats a bad sign i know

OP posts:
ParaOlympicpark · 01/09/2012 17:27

Sounds really mean but can you use threats to get her to drink? Or rewards, ie drink this = buy a book an amazon etc? How old is she?

CouthyMow · 01/09/2012 17:30

Adult teeth at top - 7-ish? At a guess?

CouthyMow · 01/09/2012 17:31

Medicine syringe to 'squirt' water into her? Had to resort to that with DS3 when he bit his tongue last time.

Original poster
Lucyellensmum100 · 01/09/2012 17:33

tried that too Para - i dont want to threaten as she may well have to return to the hospital so i dont want to make that into a negative. I did tell her she might have to go back and this already resulted in meltdown :( rewards aren't working either. She has just this minute taken a sip of water but its resulted in yelling and crying.

OP posts:
Original poster
Lucyellensmum100 · 01/09/2012 17:33

yes couthy shes 7

OP posts:
Marne · 01/09/2012 17:34

Have you got any straws? then she can push it to away from where it hurts and drink without it stinging?

I would be slightly worried as 24 hours is a lont time to go without liquid.

My dd2 hit her face last summer, put her teeth through her gum and bit through her tounge but was eating fine within a few hours. I think once she has had one drink she will realise 'it doesn't hurt' and will then be fine.

IvanaNap · 01/09/2012 17:37

The syringe you have for ibuprofen- use that every five minutes to give water/juice/milk/anything she would like. Mix it up to make it interesting, must be frequent though to be any significant amount.

ParaOlympicpark · 01/09/2012 17:38

Double up on painkillers so she can't feel it? Gosh very stressful. I would probably be getting tough at this point and saying that she has to or she will get very poorly etc. have you got a spray bottle you could aim at her!?
Would she be allowed to stay up and watch the x factor is she drinks her water?!

MammaTJisanOlympicSumoWrestler · 01/09/2012 17:40

I would be worrying now if my DD the same age hadn't drunk anything for 24 hours and hadn't needed a wee. NHS direct it is!! Hope she gets better soon.

JessePinkman · 01/09/2012 17:45

I agree with Nhs Direct then, or even A&E before it gets full up of the Saturday night crowd. Best wishes.

CordeliaStarling · 01/09/2012 17:46

Phone the out of hours GP and they will be able to advise you.

Flojo1979 · 01/09/2012 17:51

If it was me I'd be toughening up and just pin her down n make her drink and tell her to stop being so ridiculous, but then that's just my parenting style, I don't take any nonsense.

Flojo1979 · 01/09/2012 17:54

Doctor won't say anything that hasn't already been said.
Toughen up and go get some liquids down your daughter, if u have DP, get him to do it if u r too soft with her.
It's either that or molly coddle her until she needs a canular needle forcing through her hand.
Which is kinder really?

ErikNorseman · 01/09/2012 17:58

Straw won't work, you need to use your tongue to suck through a straw (discovered when I had my tongue pierced!) so it's painful to try. Also don't give fruit juice, the acid will burn. Just water or milk, you are going to have to get her to tip her head back and trickle it in for her. She will get really poorly if she doesn't drink.

Nemonemo · 01/09/2012 18:06

I'd be worried if she won't drink tomorrow morning. I'd also do double meds, ie para and ibuprofen together. Could you fashion something by attaching a straw to the end of a syringe, or naso gastric tubing is even better if you can get hold of some. Then you can tuck the straw/tubing down between her cheek and teeth and squirt fluid in without it being on the sore bit. When my son had reconstructive mouth surgery at 7 months this is what we resorted to. He wouldn't take anything for 10 days and it was nearly 30 degrees. Little and often with the syringe got us through just about. Good luck.

ParaOlympicpark · 01/09/2012 18:06

Am with flo on this one! Am mean mummy!!!

Nemonemo · 01/09/2012 18:08

I must also admit to doing a bit of Flo's suggestion, my DH held my DS down and we forced fluid in. Cruel to be kind. Some things are more important.