HealthPhone™: Use of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and Zinc

Visit us on-line: http://rehydrate.org - http://7pointplan.org - http://healthphone.org Diarrhoea usually cures itself in three to four days with rehydration (drinking a lot of liquids). The real danger is the loss of liquid and nutrients from the child's body, which can cause dehydration and malnutrition. Children with diarrhoea should be given lots of fluids and foods to help reduce the severity of the illness. The best treatment for diarrhoea is to (1) drink lots of liquids and oral rehydration salts (ORS), properly mixed with clean water from a safe source, and (2) take zinc tablets or syrup daily for 10–14 days. Diarrhoea medicines are generally ineffective and can be harmful. .