Does a home-prepared ORS have to be made of sugar, salt and water?
Sugar is in many places very expensive, or even unobtainable. The “red booklet” “THE MANAGEMENT OF DIARRHOEA AND USE OF ORAL REHYDRATION THERAPY – A Joint WHO/UNICEF Statement” makes clear on page 11 that there are two basic types of Home- prepared solutions: (a) Those containing starch rather sugar – throughout the world all people have a basic starchy foodstuff that is a staple part of their diet – it may be rice, root tubers, e.g. yams, potatoes, etc, or grains e.g. wheat, etc. Those starchy foods are nearly always boiled in water to cool them and in the process the cooling water, especially near the end of cooking, becomes a rich starchy solution, already boiled and cooled. With the addition of a little salt (so that it tastes no more salty than tears) such liquids are an excellent home-prepared solution to give to children for the prevention of dehydration. Unfortunately, they may be less effective for children less then 3 months old. Only in areas of famine would such solutions n
