Oral Rehydration for Children: Preparing and Giving It Safely

Oral rehydration solution replaces water and salts lost during diarrhea and vomiting. It is different from a medicine that stops diarrhea. A child may still have loose stools while rehydration is helping, so watch drinking, urine output and their general condition as well as the number of diapers.

Ask a clinician or pharmacist which product is suitable and how it fits your child’s care plan. Babies and children with signs of dehydration need prompt clinical advice, especially if they are struggling to drink.

Know when home rehydration is not enough

Seek urgent help if your child cannot keep fluids down, refuses milk feeds, passes less urine or becomes increasingly sleepy. Do not wait for a planned fluid total to be reached before reporting deterioration. Our guide to dehydration in young children explains what to notice.

A child who is difficult to wake, floppy, struggling to breathe or not responding normally needs emergency help. Green vomit, blood in vomit or severe abdominal pain also needs emergency assessment. Rehydration solution should not delay evaluation of a possible blockage or another serious illness.

Check the product before mixing it

Read the sachet and leaflet each time you use a new product. Different preparations can have different instructions. Use the exact water volume specified; do not assume every sachet makes the same amount. Check whether the instructions require a particular type of water for your child’s age.

Use water only. Do not mix the powder into formula, breast milk or juice, and do not add sugar or extra salt. Too much or too little water changes the balance the product is designed to provide. If you are uncertain about the amount already added, ask a pharmacist rather than trying to correct it by guesswork.

Follow the product’s storage and discard instructions for prepared solution. Write the preparation time on the container if that helps other caregivers use the same batch safely. Keep unused sachets and medicines out of children’s reach.

Ask for a plan you can follow

The amount needed depends on age, weight, fluid losses and whether dehydration is already present. Ask how much to offer, over what period and whether further amounts are needed after loose stools. A general article cannot replace that assessment.

Small, frequent amounts are often easier to manage when a child is nauseated. Ask what to do after vomiting and when to call if the planned amount cannot be given. Do not force fluid into the mouth of a drowsy child or continue at home while they are becoming less responsive.

Tell the clinician about kidney or liver disease, diabetes or another condition that may affect fluid treatment. Bring the product name and instructions if you seek further care.

Keep feeding advice specific to the stage

Without dehydration, usual feeds generally continue during gastroenteritis. Breastfeeding also continues during initial rehydration treatment. If a clinician is treating dehydration, solids are paused during that initial phase and other fluids follow the treatment plan.

After rehydration, usual milk and food can resume as advised. Formula remains at normal strength. Avoid fruit juice and fizzy drinks during diarrhea. Do not withhold all food and milk for an arbitrary full day because of advice meant for a different treatment stage.

Our guides to diarrhea in babies and vomiting in young children explain how these decisions fit the wider illness.

Agree on reassessment

Ask what improvement should look like and when the child should be checked again. Keep a brief record of fluid offered, vomiting and urine so that you can explain the response. If the plan is not working, contact the care team rather than repeatedly changing the recipe or extending treatment yourself.

You can ask for help before a child looks severely ill. Early advice is particularly valuable for a young baby whose feeding and wet diapers have changed.