What to do if your child develops diarrhoea

Easy home treatment can help your child recover easily from diarrhoea.

Rainy season often poses several health risks, including diarrhoea. In fact, it is one of the most common sicknesses, especially among children. The condition of loose bowel can become quite serious and turn fatal if the patient or the child suffering from it is not given proper timely treatment.

More than a million children under the age of five in developing countries suffer from diarrheal diseases owing to unhygienic causes. However, if your child is suffering from the sickness, do not panic. Easy home treatment can do the trick. Know the symptoms and here is what you should do according to a government notification.

Symptoms of Diarrhoea

1 Frequent passing of loose and watery stools. Do not mistake frequent passing of normal stools for diarrhoea.

2 Abdominal pain and cramps for hours together

3 Fever. It can range from mild to high.

4 Thirst or urge to drink more water.

5 Bloating of the stomach.

6 Frequent diarrhoea can lead to weight loss.

If your child suffer from these symptoms, make sure to give timely and proper treatment. Do not let your child suffer.

Things to do

1 Maintain hand hygiene. In fact, washing hands is one of the most important things to do. Wash your child's hands with soap. Scrub the palm, inside of the nails and between the fingers well

2 Make your child drink plenty of safe drinking water in a day.

3 Store clean and safe drinking water in a clean container.

4 Make your child drink ORS. Pour a packet of ORS powder in a litre of safe drinking water in a jar and mix it well.

5 Take ORS solution in a small glass and feed the child with spoon

6 Continue breast feeding and age appropriate feeding

7 Give a zinc tablet or syrup

Must Avoid Foods

If your child is suffering from the disease, do not give glucose, fruit juice, tea, coffee and cold drinks. Also avoid giving oily, fried and spicy food.