Slide 24
Diarrhoea and food This last slide is a summary of all the others.
This is the Indonesian baby from Slide 12 drinking his
glucose electrolyte solution from a 200 ml. glass. On
the right is the child from the second part of the slide
about feeding as an important part of oral therapy,
showing an early return to normal feeding.
In many countries, people think that it is wrong to feed
a child with diarrhoea. They have noticed, like Maina's
mother in="diarrhoea-management-21.htm" target="_blank"> Slide 21, that the diarrhoea seems to stop
sooner if you starve a child. But starving a child makes
his nutritional state worse-so he will have more attacks
of diarrhoea later. Do not worry so much about what
comes out. Worry more about the food and fluid that
goes into a child. This 'two-part' oral therapy - fluids
and food - can prevent many hospital admissions, and
many deaths from both dehydration and malnutrition.
And it is something community health workers can
teach mothers to do for themselves, with very little
equipment, and a small cost.
