Age also influences the amount of body fluids.
Newborn infants’ total body mass can be up to
can be up to 80% water and this can be higher
in premature infants (Thibodeau and Patton
2012). Chow and Douglas (2008) stated that the
percentage of water in the body gradually reduces
with gestational age from around 86% at 26 weeks
to 80% at 32 weeks and to about 78% at full term.
This occurs as a result of the accumulation of body
fat during development. In the newborn infant,
body weight can be a good indicator of fluid loss
and balance (Chow and Douglas 2008).