Use this plan to teach the mother to:
• continue to treat at home her child’s current episode of diarrhoea;
• give early treatment for future episodes of diarrhoea.
Explain the three rules for treating diarrhoea at home:
1. Give the child more fluids than usual to prevent dehydration
• Use recommended home fluids. These include: ORS solution, food-based fluids (such as soup, rice water and yogurt drinks) and plain water. Use ORS solution for children described in the box below. (Note: if the child is under 6 months and not yet taking solid food, give ORS solution or water rather than food-based fluid.)
• Give as much of these fluids as the child will take. Use the amounts shown below for ORS as a guide.
• Continue giving these fluids until the diarrhoea stops.
2. Give the child plenty of food to prevent undernutrition
• Continue to breast-feed frequently.
• If the child is not breast-fed, give the usual milk.
• If the child is six months or older, or already taking solid food:
- also give cereal or another starchy food mixed, if possible, with pulses, vegetables, and meat or fish; add 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of vegetable oil to each serving;
- give fresh fruit juice or mashed banana to provide potassium;
- give freshly prepared foods; cook and mash or grind food well;
- encourage the child to eat: offer food at least 6 times a day;
- give the same food after diarrhoea stops, and give an extra meal each day for two weeks.
3. Take the child to the health worker if the child does not get better in three days or develops any of the following:
• many watery stools |
• eating or drinking poorly |
• repeated vomiting |
• fever |
• marked thirst |
• blood in the stool |
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Children should be given ORS solutions at home if:
• they have been on Treatment Plan B or C;
• they cannot return to the health worker if the diarrhoea gets worse;
• it is national policy to give ORS to all children who see a health worker for diarrhoea.
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If the child will be given ORS solution at home, show the mother how much ORS to give after each loose stool and give her enough packets for two days.
Age |
Amount of ORS to be given after each loose stool |
Amount of ORS to provide for use at home |
Less than 24 months |
50 - 100 ml |
500 ml/day |
2 to 10 years |
100 - 200 ml |
1,000 ml/day |
10 years or more |
as much as wanted |
2,000 ml/day |
• Describe and show the amount to be given after each stool using a local measure.
Show the mother how to mix ORS.
Show her how to give ORS.
• Give a teaspoonful every 1-2 minutes for a child under 2 years.
• Give frequent sips from a cup for older children.
• If the child vomits, wait 10 minutes. Then give the solution more slowly (for example, a spoonful every 2-3 minutes).
• If diarrhoea continues after the ORS packets are used up, tell the mother to give other fluids as described in the first rule above or return for more ORS.
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