title: Dehydration and hypernatremia in breast-fed term healthy neonates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of significant weight loss, dehydration, hypernatremia and hyperbilirubinemia in exclusively breast-fed term healthy neonates and compare the incidence of these problems in the warm and cool months.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the study period 496 neonates were recruited.
  
  
  RESULTS
  157 neonates (31.6%) had significant weight loss (> 10 % cumulative weight loss or per day weight loss > 5%). Clinical dehydration was present in 2.2% of neonates. Of these 157 neonates, 31.8% had hypernatremia and 28 % had hyperbilirubinemia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The incidence of the above mentioned problems were higher in the warm months but the difference was not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, St John's Medical College, Bangalore, India. srekha74@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Swarna Rekha
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: Sr Maria
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Liza
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003681:Dehydration / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D051556:Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006955:Hypernatremia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology