The average child should drink from six to eight 8-oz. cups of water per day, according to FamilyDoctor.org. If your child is very active, he may drink more because of the loss of fluids through sweat and exercise. If your child begins to display symptoms of extreme thirst beyond what's normal due to exercise or eating a large amount of salty foods, it could be the indication of a serious medical problem.
Diabetes Mellitus
The main symptom of diabetes mellitus is extreme thirst. In most cases, your child may not have blood glucose readings tested at a normal physical exam or checkup unless he's showing symptoms of diabetes or there is a strong family history of the disease. Most cases of diabetes in children are type 1, or juvenile diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body does not make any insulin, explains the American Diabetes Association. Symptoms of diabetes mellitus, in addition to extreme thirst, include tiredness, weight loss, frequent infections, irritability, extreme hunger, blurred vision and bruises that heal slowly. Treatment for type 1 diabetes usually includes insulin therapy along with a diabetic diet that is low in carbohydrates and sugar.
Diabetes Insipidus
Diabetes insipidus is a form of diabetes that involves a disorder of the anti-diuretic hormone ADH. There are two main groups of this disorder: nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and central diabetes insipidus, according to Children's Hospital Boston. With nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, your child's kidneys do not respond to normal levels of ADH. ADH controls the output of urine by the kidneys. Central diabetes insipidus occurs when there is an insufficient production of ADH, stemming from a problem within the central nervous system. One of the main symptoms of diabetes insipidus is excessive thirst -- this is caused by the diabetes denying the body ADH, eventually leading to an increased desire to drink and excessive urine output.
Dehydration
Being dehydrated ranges from mild, in which fluids can be replaced with water or electrolyte drinks, to serious or life-threatening. One of the first signs of mild dehydration in your child is excessive thirst, notes Mayoclinic.com. Drinking to satisfy thirst adds fluids to the body, avoiding harming vital organs. Dehydration may be caused from gastroenteritis, excessive sweating, fever, illness and vomiting. If you have diabetes, even though you may have excessive thirst, you also are at increased risk of dehydration due to frequent urination.
Kidney Problem
In some cases, having excessive thirst can indicate a kidney problem in your child. Several conditions and diseases affect the kidneys, including chronic kidney disease, hematuria and nephrotic syndrome, explains the American Kidney Fund. Chronic kidney disease can occur in anyone, but your child is at risk if he has diabetes or another family member has kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure, so it's important to get prompt medical care and follow a low-fat and low-sodium diet. Hematuria also is kidney related and often caused by an injury to a kidney or chronic urinary tract infections. Childhood nephrotic syndrome is a condition where your kidneys spill proteins into your urine from your blood. Proteins begin to build up in your bloodstream and can cause an increase in thirst and edema or swelling throughout your body.
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