Explain the implementation and importance of hydration while combating diarrhea

Answer 1

Most children who die from diarrhea actually die from dehydration and loss of nutrients associated with the infection. Dehydration, in turn, can be treated at home through a combination of liquids, salt, energy, and potassium. The form that these ingredients take may be found in some home-based remedies (even chicken soup). It may be especially effective if the parents use oral rehydration salts solutions, which are premixed powders available through pharmacies, clinics, and public health offices.
The concept of oral rehydration is a fairly simple one: mixing water with a powdered solution and feeding it to a baby or young child. However, the parent or caretaker using and feeding the solution must generally be well skilled with respect to how best to mix the solution, why and how to use clean water, determining correct proportions of powder and water to use, and how much to feed the child. Mastery of each of these techniques can mean the difference between recovery or prolonged illness or worse for the child. Most countries have found that it is necessary to educate a large number of community health workers or volunteers to spread the message about oral rehydration solution, as poor parents may have limited access to or may be unable to afford health services. Thus, the community health workers themselves must also be able to master the oral rehydration intervention. "Counseling cards" comprise one technique for improving both health worker and caregiver skills among even semiliterate populations (Figure 9-1).

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