User:Lorato Othusitse/Treating diarrhoea at home

When a child has diarrhea, make sure you give the child more fluids (but not alcohol ) than usual to avoid dehydration.

Fluids such as;


 * Water from cooked rice or samp,soup, watery foods like soft porridge.
 * Breast milk, dairy products like sour milk and yogurt.
 * Clean water and fruit juice.
 * If you have diarrhea mixture given at the hospital mix it as follows: 1 packet of ORS + 1 litre of boiling water after it has cooled.

Note : Give the child fluids the way he/she wants.

Give the child food frequently to avoid him/her from losing weight.

Give the child food

 * which are mashed or crushed so that they can be easy to digest.
 * which are freshly cooked.
 * food which are suitable for a child with diarrhoea are : sour soft porridge, soft porridge with added nutrients like cooking oil, butter, peanut butter. Maize meal with oil, milk or sour milk,potatoes, boiled eggs,white bread, vegetables, chicken, beef or fish.
 * Fresh fruit juice or bananas.
 * Give the child frequent meals, six times or more per day.
 * After the diarrhoea stops, give the child extra one extra meal per day to help the child recover lost nutrients, gain strength and weight.

Return your child to the clinic if he/she shows the following signs:

 * If the child does not get better.
 * If diarrhoea becomes frequent
 * Has difficulty in eating or drinking anything.
 * Has a dry mouth or thirsty.
 * If the child looks tired.
 * Has fever
 * Sunken eyes
 * Sunken fontanel (for infants)
 * Dry skin and pinched skin goes back slowly.

==== Note: ==== What is shown in the picture is similar to some of the signs indicated at the top.