As a conscious parent, you want to know how long this product will last. You may have been asking yourself:
- How long does Pedialyte last after opening?
- Does Pedialyte have a long shelf life?
- What kind of Pedialyte is best for my child?
- Are there any other uses for Pedialyte?
We know that a bottle of Pedialyte is you and your baby’s best friend, but of course, we just want to make sure that it’s safe to consume, too.
You might have a question or two about Pedialyte, and we’re here to answer them for you!
Does Pedialyte Expire After Opening?
Like consumable liquid products, a bottle of Pedialyte goes bad fast once you open them.
Unlike keeping the unopened packaging at room temperature, opening it has a DIFFERENT EFFECT.
The Answer You’ve Been Looking For
It takes approximately 48 hours for the product to expire from the moment you open the packaging. So yes, it’s best to take note of the day and the specific hour you opened it!
TAKE NOTE: It’s best to keep the Pedialyte refrigerated! After 48 hours, it should be discarded, according to the description.
To Understand It Better, Think of It This Way:
As soon as you open the packaging, microorganisms enter the package and start to contaminate the Pedialyte, with the bacteria invading it via air or direct contact!
Well, that isn’t too good, and wouldn’t want to give that to our baby right?
Alternatively, having unsanitary hands can cause bad effects to the opened product, too! This is called touch contamination. YIKES!
As science and biology fundamentally go, touch contamination is a natural way for bacteria and microorganisms to replicate. Although, you can slow down the process by a bit IF YOU REFRIGERATE IT.
REMEMBER: You can save money and make sure you still try to consume it by the 48th-hour mark, though!
Get creative! The drink has a lot of wonderful benefits that you can use for yourself within 48 hours, like a post-workout drink or a hangover cure, too! (We’ll get into that later).
What is Pedialyte for?
So let’s say your child has been vomiting, having a bad case of diarrhea, or both at the same time.
We don’t want that for our little children. This can be really stressful, as this can cause a lot of stress and severe dehydration!
We know that sometimes, drinking water isn’t enough to cure it. Treating severe dehydration means letting the baby hydrate and keeping their electrolytes up.
Now, this is where the parents’ best friend comes in: Pedialyte! Pedialyte has become a household brand to use for relieving a child who has been dehydrated.
Think of it as an ENERGY DRINK for babies, but with better sugar and sodium content!
It works to replace fluids that your kid lost, and has the minerals and sodium that the body needs to charge them up, making it an efficient oral rehydration solution!
We can put it this way: When people lack electrolytes in their body, rehydrating can be difficult!
With the ideal and optimized balance of sugar and sodium, the drink helps replenish everything that your children have lost in dehydration, keeping them in a healthy and tip-top shape.
The best part? It has ZINC to support the immune system, too! Your baby can bid dehydration goodbye and prevent dehydration from happening again as well!
Also, note that it works the same way for adults, too! So if you’re looking for a better energy drink replacement, then this is your solution!
What’s in Pedialyte?
Are you a conscious parent and you’re curious what’s in it? Check this out!
Pedialyte Classic Ingredients:
- Water
- Dextrose
- Less than 2% of: Potassium Citrate, Salt, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, and Zinc Gluconate.
Nutritional Information:
- Calories: 35
- Total fat: 0g
- Sodium: 370mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 9g
- Total Sugars: 9g, Added Sugars: 9g
- Protein: 0g
How Long Does Pedialyte Last: The Shelf Life
So, how long does Pedialyte last exactly?
If you plan to stock up on Pedialyte bottles for emergency use, well then we got great news!
In terms of shelf life, Pedialyte lasts two years, from the date of manufacturing, as long as it’s unopened.
You can keep them stocked up at home at room temperature.
Don’t forget to keep the packaging out of sunlight, though.
To check the expiration date, you can find it at either the bottom or the top of the packaging, stamped on the bottles or packets.
Letting Your Child Experience Pedialyte for the First Time
So you’ve finally decided to give your child Pedialyte, but you don’t know how much to give them. Don’t worry, it’s fairly easy! BUT BE WARNED it doesn’t work like energy drinks or water, though!
For children aged 1 year or older: you can begin with small sips every 15 minutes, with the serving size progressively getting more until tolerated.
You can continue giving the drink to the child as long as he or she has diarrhea. For the right amount of hydration, you can give 4-8 servings (32-64 oz) per day!
For infants, please ask your doctor first to be sure before giving them the drink.
Note: As the age-old saying goes, it is still best to consult with a doctor if symptoms of dehydration persist beyond 24 hours, or if the child needs more than 2 liters of Pedialyte in a day.
Product Variations: Choosing the Right One
To make things more exciting, especially for your kids, Pedialyte comes in different forms to get!
These products are made to make consuming the drink easier for the kids, so if they’re having a hard time consuming the regular Pedialyte, you can make things easier for them with other variations.
Happy babies make for happier parents!
It’s important to take note these are different products with a small variation on ingredients; the expiration date, and product longevity after opening may vary.
Here are some options you can consider buying and keeping inside your baby medical kit:
1. Pedialyte Classic Liters
This is the original formulation to help your baby when they LACK the essential nutrients from being dehydrated!
They only last for 48 hours after opening, though! Removing the cap of the packaging enables the entry of natural bacteria. Make sure you maximize this before it goes to waste!
But if you just keep these unopened Pedialyte bottles, it has a shelf life of two years!
It is ideal to have this if you need an emergency stock for your baby, as these last a long time!
KEEP IN MIND: Liquid Pedialyte isn’t an alternative to water, as this is ONLY for special cases of your baby being dehydrated, and etc.
2. Pedialyte Electrolyte Powder
It’s the same Pedialyte that we know and love but in a CONVENIENT single-serve option!
If a 1L bottle isn’t an option for you, you should definitely consider the Pedialyte Electrolyte Powder.
The best part? It comes in Pedialyte POWDER PACKS.
Just imagine, it’s instant rehydration in Pedialyte powder packets that you can bring anywhere! As long as you have a bottle of water, just pour it in and you’re good to go.
It’s as easy as that!
To make things more amazing, this stuff has quite a long shelf life, so stocking up on these wouldn’t be a problem.
3. Pedialyte Juice Boxes
Trying to find a way to rehydrate your children the EASY way?
Of course, sometimes it can be hard to make them drink their vitamins, but what if we told you there’s a WAY to get electrolytes back into their system in a way that they can enjoy, too?
Introducing the Pedialyte Juice Boxes!
Because we know for sure that kids love juice as much as they love cookies, giving them this hydration drink is bound to charge up their bodies with the amount of vitamins and minerals they need.
You can easily stash these juice boxes in your diaper bag so that they’ll come in handy, in case of emergencies.
Just push a straw in and you’re good to go! And don’t worry, we know you want some of these, too! Don’t be shy to admit it.
4. Pedialyte Freezer Pops
Who says getting the stuff we need like minerals, sodium, and electrolytes can’t be fun?
Pedialyte Freezer Pops is (literally) a cool way to rehydrate all the water that a person lost, in an exciting way that the children will definitely love.
Through these frozen pops, people get to replenish and feel a lot better after being dehydrated!
And to make this SWEET TREAT better, it comes in different flavors to choose from:
- Grape
- Blue Raspberry
- Cherry
- Orange
We promise, your kids will be loving their Pedialyte experience rehydration more!
When to Use Pedialyte
If your children are having a terrible experience with dehydration like a bad case of diarrhea and vomiting, don’t worry!
You can count on Pedialyte as your first choice for them to recover all the liquid they lost in their body.
Use the Pedialyte in small amounts at the start. A good rule is to use 100ml – 150ml per kilogram of bodyweight that your child has.
When Not to Use Pedialyte
If your children have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients of Pedialyte, it would be best to avoid Pedialyte and ask your doctor for an alternative!
Alternatively, if your child’s diarrhea doesn’t stop within 24 hours, don’t forget to contact your pediatrician for professional advice!
It would also be best to stay away from this solution if your children have intestinal or other digestive problems.
Pedialyte FAQS
#1 Can I Use This as an Alternative to a Sports Drink?
If you feel like you want something more than water to hydrate after an intense physical activity, LOOK NO FURTHER from Pedialyte!
It works just as well as sports drinks do!
It’s also ideal to bring the Pedialyte powder packs around with you after working out, too! Just store Pedialyte powder content in your jug, then mix, and you’re good to go!
It’s like making DIY sports drinks that are perfect for travel.
Our personal favorite after a good workout is Blue Raspberry. Nothing like a refreshing taste after sweating out! You can store Pedialyte in a bottle so it’s ready to drink.
Check this video out!
#2 Is This Good to Cure a Hangover?
We have to admit, drinking is fun as a social activity! Although sometimes, we tend to drink a TAD BIT over our limit, and it can cause some nasty hangovers.
Good news for you, Pedialyte works like LIQUID AMBROSIA for you to use during your morning headache! You can say goodbye to sugary sports drinks.
#3 So… Is Pedialyte Good For My Family?
Pedialyte is a great way to rehydrate you and your children!
If they’re experiencing any discomfort from an illness like diarrhea, you surely know you can’t go wrong with this.
After opening the packaging though, keep in mind that the bottled Pedialyte can expire within 48 hours! But you have a choice to choose from its other variations.
#4 How Much Pedialyte Can a 6-Month Old Baby Have?
For those wondering how much Pedialyte their 6-month old baby can have, it actually depends on their weight, not their age.
Here’s a quick breakdown to help you out:
- 10 lbs.: At least 2 ounces of liquid per hour
- 15 lbs.: At least 2 ½ ounces of liquid per hour
- 20 lbs.: At least 3 ½ ounces of liquid per hour
- 40 lbs.: At least 6 ½ ounces of liquid per hour
- 60 lbs.: At least 10 ounces of liquid per hour
This is just a quick summary, so it would be best if you read up more about it in our other Pedialyte article.
Final Thoughts
As grown-ups, we are naturally protective of our children. We just want to keep the illness AWAY!
Dehydration is a common thing that happens with our children and we just want what’s best for them. But we have to admit that sometimes water doesn’t work the same way to treat it.
That’s why you should use Pedialyte because it works like a REAL CHARM, plus, your baby will love it! It’s no wonder this product is DOCTOR RECOMMENDED. It just works so well!
We hope you find the information here useful, and that you have something to choose from the options the brand offers.
Choose the one you can use consistently to save your money, avoid waste, and pick the right one to suit your needs!
At the end of the day, you and your children will be feeling BETTER AND HYDRATED!
