Diarrhoea and ORS: Keeping Your Baby Hydrated Through an Indian Summer

Loose motions are one of the most common reasons Indian babies fall ill, and the summer months — with heat, cut fruit, stored water and travel — are peak season. The good news: the treatment that saves lives is cheap, sits in every chemist's shop, and costs only a few rupees.

First, what actually helps

For most diarrhoea, the priority is not to stop it but to replace what is lost. Two things do the heavy lifting:

• ORS (oral rehydration solution) — the correct WHO low-osmolarity formula, sold as sachets for around ₹10–20. It replaces water and salts in the exact balance the gut can absorb.
• Zinc — your paediatrician will usually advise a two-week course. It shortens the illness and helps prevent the next one.

What does not help, and can harm: soft drinks, bottled juices, sports drinks, or nimbu-sharbat made too sweet (the extra sugar pulls more water into the gut), and antibiotics left over from a previous illness. Please don't reach for those.

Mixing and giving ORS the right way

1. Wash your hands. Empty one full sachet into the exact amount of clean, boiled-and-cooled water printed on the packet — usually one litre. Never split a sachet by eye.
2. Stir until dissolved. Make it fresh and discard whatever's left after 24 hours.
3. Give small, frequent sips by spoon or paladai — roughly a spoonful every 1–2 minutes for a small baby. Big gulps often come straight back up.
4. If your baby vomits, wait 10 minutes and start again, slower.
5. Keep breastfeeding right through — breast milk is fluid, food and comfort in one, and should never be stopped during diarrhoea.

Feeding through and after

Once your baby can keep fluids down, continue normal feeds. For older babies on solids, soft home food rebuilds strength far better than a "starvation diet": khichdi, moong dal, curd (dahi), mashed banana, rice with a little dal ka pani, and, for weaning babies, ragi porridge. Curd is especially useful — gentle and familiar. Hold back very oily, very sweet or packaged snacks until the tummy settles.

Signs that mean go to a doctor now

Dehydration is the real danger. Head to your paediatrician or the nearest hospital straight away if you see:

• Sunken eyes, a sunken soft spot (fontanelle), or no tears when crying
• A dry mouth and tongue, or skin that stays "tented" when gently pinched
• Far fewer wet nappies, or none for several hours
• A baby who is unusually drowsy, floppy or hard to wake, or restless and unable to settle
• Blood in the stool, repeated vomiting so nothing stays down, or a high fever
• Diarrhoea in a very young baby (under two months) — always check early

Stopping the next round

Most summer tummy bugs travel on water and hands. Boiled or filtered water, hand-washing before feeds, keeping cut fruit covered and cool, and the rotavirus vaccine (part of the IAP schedule) prevent a great deal of misery. Keep two ORS sachets at home before you need them.

Loose motions usually settle in a few days with fluids and patience. But you know your baby best — if the energy, the wet nappies or the feeding start dropping off, don't wait it out. A prompt check with your paediatrician is always worth it.