Hypernatremic dehydration - a case series

Hypernatremic dehydration manifests typically in neonates in the first 2 weeks of life. The common risk factors for it include primi-parity, anxious elderly mother with lactation problems, caesarean delivery and early discharge. Most of these babies are seen during the summer months. The common presenting features include excessive weight loss, hyperthermia, jaundice, lethargy and poor feeding. We present herewith the clinical characteristics and the challenges we encountered in managing 27 babies with Hypernatremic dehydration.