Diarrhoea

Supporting Information

A child with diarrhoea loses weight and can quickly become malnourished. A child with diarrhoea needs all the food and fluid he or she can take. Food can help stop the diarrhoea and help the child recover more quickly.

A child with diarrhoea may not want to eat or may vomit, so feeding can be difficult. If the child is around six months of age or older, parents and caregivers should encourage the child to eat as often as possible, offering small amounts of soft, mashed foods or foods the child likes. These foods should contain a small amount of salt. Soft foods are easier to eat and contain more fluid than hard foods.

Recommended foods for a child with diarrhoea are well-mashed mixes of cereals and beans, fish, well-cooked meat, yogurt and fruits. One or two teaspoons of oil can be added to cereal and vegetables. Foods should be freshly prepared and given to the child five or six times a day.

After the diarrhoea stops, extra feeding is vital for a full recovery. At this time, the child needs to eat an extra meal a day, or breastfeed more every day, for at least two weeks. This will help the child replace the energy and nourishment lost due to diarrhoea.

A child is not fully recovered from diarrhoea until he or she is at least the same weight as when the illness began.

Vitamin A capsules and foods that contain vitamin A help a child recover from diarrhoea. Foods that contain vitamin A include breastmilk, liver, fish, dairy products, orange or yellow fruits and vegetables, and green leafy vegetables.