Making up 71% of the earth and 60% of the human body, water is an integral part of life, growth, and development. While nutritionists recommend drinking eight glasses of water a day, some people consider themselves lucky if they even get a full glass. While safe water is a right, for many, it’s a privilege. Did you know 785 million people don’t have access to clean water? That’s 1 in 10 people on the planet! To top this off, every day more than 800 children under the age of 5 die from diarrhea due to unsafe hygiene, contaminated water, and poor sanitation.
Water and Child Health
1. Produces Saliva
Saliva is essential to break down food for proper digestion and keeping the mouth healthy. If a child has a regular fluid intake, this ensures they have enough saliva for all bodily functions. Drinking clean water helps safely generate adequate saliva without the threat of any mouth diseases or bacteria growth.
2. Aids in Effective Blood Oxygen Circulation
Drinking clean and safe water helps carry nutrients and oxygen to the entire body. It’s essential to reach the daily water intake to improve their blood circulation and positively affect their health.
3. Wards off Illnesses
Drinking clean and enough water also prevents certain medical conditions, including kidney stones, constipation, hypertension, and urinary tract infection. Water also absorbs all the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients from their food, which boosts overall health.
Poor Water Conditions
Drinking contaminated water can result in cholera, typhoid fever, and dysentery. The long-term effects include severe kidney, bone, liver, and brain damage. Water is the main component of blood and is also in lymph, which helps regulate body temperature and ensure effective digestion.
How Can You Help?
Safe and clean drinking water is a right, not a privilege. Children are the future leaders, thinkers, and trailblazers of the world; it is our responsibility to get their rights. Water plays a massive role in early child nutrition; however, poor management can lead to several lives lost because of a lack of this essential nutrient. If you’re not sure about how and what to do, —we can help!
At Orphan Life Foundation, we focus on improving the quality of life of orphaned children. We provide clean water for these children , set up baby adoption centers and supply learning resources and classroom supplies for kids in Africa.Reach out to us to find out about our baby adoption centers in WA and orphanages in India.
