Diarrhoea

Do not starve the baby. Let the baby eat or drink what she likes. The baby may prefer soup, juice, coconut water, rice cunjee with salt or other rice preparations, curds, banana and potatoes. If the baby is being breastfed, continue breastfeeding. The most important medicines for diarrhoea are rice cunjee and water, salt and sugar solution. These help in preventing dehydration by replacing the essential salts lost with the baby's loose motions. In watery diarrhoeas, no other medicines are needed.

You can add lime juice or orange juice for taste. Keep this solution in a refrigerator or cold place and consume as much as possible. For teenagers, aim for 1-2 glasses (200 ml glass) after each loose motion. For younger children aim for ½ to 1 glass after each loose motion. If the child does not keep taking much at a time or tends to vomit, give a few sips every 5-10 minutes day and night. The idea is to ensure enough urine output. Make a fresh solution after 24 hours. Wherever possible, boil the water and cool it before adding salt and sugar. Though boiled water is preferable, it is not essential. Once the solution is ready, do not boil it.

Note that if the patient is passing blood or mucus in stools, he should immediately consult a doctor since he may need other medicines as well. Normally, thriving breastfed babies sometimes pass frequent watery motions. This is not diarrhoea and does not need any treatment.