152 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
To prevent or treat dehydration: When a person has watery diarrhea, act quickly:
♦ Give lots of liquids to drink: Rehydration Drink is best. Or give a thin cereal
porridge or gruel, teas, soups, or even plain water.
♦ Keep giving food. As soon as the sick child (or adult) will accept food, give
frequent feedings of foods he likes and accepts.
♦ To babies, keep giving breast milk often—and before other drinks.
A special Rehydration Drink helps to prevent or treat dehydration, especially in
cases of severe watery diarrhea:
2 WAYS TO MAKE ‘HOME MIX’ REHYDRATION DRINK
1. WITH SUGAR AND SALT (Raw sugar or
molasses can be used instead of sugar)
In 1 liter
of clean
WATER
put half
of a level
teaspoon
of SALT
and 8 level
teaspoons of
SUGAR.
2. WITH POWDERED CEREAL AND SALT
(Powdered rice is best. Or use finely ground maize, wheat
flour, sorghum, or cooked and mashed potatoes.)
In 1 liter
of WATER
put half a
teaspoon
of SALT
and 8 heaping teaspoons
(or 2 handfuls) of
powdered CEREAL .
CAUTION: Before
adding the sugar,
taste the drink and
be sure it is less
salty than tears.
Boil for 5 to 7 minutes to
form a liquid gruel or watery
porridge. Cool the Drink
quickly and start giving it to
the child.
To either Drink add half a cup of fruit juice,
coconut water, or mashed ripe banana, if available.
This provides potassium which may help the child
accept more food and drink.
CAUTION: Taste the Drink each time before you give it
to be sure it is not spoiled. Cereal drinks can spoil in a few
hours in hot weather.
IMPORTANT: Adapt the Drink to your area. If liter containers or teaspoons are not in most homes, adjust
quantities to local forms of measurement. Where people traditionally give cereal gruels to young children, add
enough water to make it liquid, and use that. Look for an easy and simple way.
Give the dehydrated person sips of this Drink every 5 minutes, day and night, until
he begins to urinate normally. A large person needs 3 or more liters a day. A small
child usually needs at least 1 liter a day, or 1 glass for each watery stool. Keep giving
the Drink often in small sips, even if the person vomits. Not all of the Drink will be
vomited.
WARNING: If dehydration gets worse or other danger signs appear, go for medical
help (see p. 159). It may be necessary to give liquid in a vein (intravenous solution).
Note: In some countries packets of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) are available for mixing with
water. These contain a simple mix of sugar, salt, citrate, zinc, and potassium (see p. 381).
However, homemade drinks—especially cereal drinks—when correctly prepared are often
cheaper, safer, and more effective than ORS packets.