What to Feed a Child During Diarrhoea — ORS, Home Fluids, Curd-Rice and Foods to Avoid

Dr. Sandip Gupta

When a child gets diarrhoea, repeated watery loose motions worry parents, who want to know what to feed so food digests easily and the child stays hydrated. This video covers hydration fluids, foods to give, foods to avoid, and when to see a doctor. Why hydration matters: During loose motions the body loses both water and salt, causing dehydration, and repeated episodes can prevent proper digestion, leading to weakness. So the food and fluids given should be easy to digest and prevent weakness. 1. ORS — the first choice. The WHO-standard ORS solution contains salt and sugar together, which helps the body absorb water much better than plain water alone. Always use WHO-standard ORS; Electral is one branded version of it. Large sachet (~22 g) dissolves in 1 litre water; small sachet (4.4 g) dissolves in 200 ml water. Dose by age, after each loose motion: 2 months–2 years: 50–100 ml; 2–10 years: 100–200 ml; above 10 years: more than 200 ml, as much as the child wants. This is for preventing dehydration — if dehydration is already significant, more ORS is needed under doctor's guidance. (A separate detailed ORS video is referenced.) Homemade ORS, for when you can't buy a sachet (e.g. at night): dissolve 6 teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt in 1 litre of water — this works just as well as the standard sachet. Other rehydration fluids: Nimbu pani (lemon water) – half a lemon squeezed into a glass of water with 2 teaspoons sugar and a pinch of salt. Dal water and rice water – boiled dal water, or rice boiled in extra water and the water given separately — both hydrate and provide carbohydrate energy. Add a little salt to both, since salt helps the body retain and absorb water. Chaach or salted lassi – the curd in lassi is a natural probiotic that replaces bad bacteria/virus in the gut with good bacteria, helping diarrhoea resolve faster. Important age note: All these solutions are for children above 6 months. Under 6 months, exclusively breastfed babies often pass semi-solid motion 7–8 times a day, which is not diarrhoea by frequency alone — watery stool in this age group should be checked by a pediatrician, since diarrhoea is less common and can indicate a more serious infection in babies this young. For under-6-months with diarrhoea: maximise breastfeeding (with doctor's permission a little ORS can be added), or if on formula, give more formula to prevent dehydration. Foods for children above 6 months, in diarrhoea: Curd-rice mixture – rice for easy-to-digest carbohydrate, curd for natural probiotics that help diarrhoea heal. Curd with poha – soak poha in water until soft, mix with curd, add a little salt and sugar; easy to digest and energising. Vegetable soup – gives fluid and, if vegetables are well boiled, easily digestible energy. Rice-dal khichdi (moong dal) – moong dal digests easily; adding vegetables like carrot or potato boosts energy and helps the child regain strength. Banana – mashed for small children; helps form well-formed stool. Mashed potato and rice together. Kheer, or sabudana, oats or dalia cooked well in milk. Should milk be stopped? Under 6 months, continue breast milk regardless. Above 6 months on breast milk, or cow milk above 1 year, there is no need to stop milk if diarrhoea is less than 14 days. Only stop milk on your doctor's advice if diarrhoea lasts more than 14 days, or if there's diagnosed lactose intolerance. Foods to avoid during diarrhoea: Anything hard to digest — spicy food, deep-fried food, outside/ordered food, or anything otherwise difficult to digest — since these are poorly absorbed and can worsen diarrhoea. Packaged fruit juices and "ORS-like" tetra packs: Do not give packaged fruit juices during diarrhoea. Check any tetra pack labelled ORS carefully — if it doesn't clearly say WHO ORS, and instead has a prefix or suffix added to the word ORS, it is likely an energy drink with excessive sugar (useful in other situations like fever for extra energy, but not for diarrhoea) and can worsen diarrhoea — avoid these. When to consult a doctor immediately: Frequent loose motions with signs of dehydration — no urination in 6 hours, dark yellow urine, sunken eyes, dry tongue, the child becoming dull/inactive/not playing, or dry skin — need proper rehydration under a pediatrician's guidance, since dehydration can become a serious problem. Relevant for: parents whose child has diarrhoea or loose motions and want to know what to feed; parents asking how much ORS to give by age; parents wanting homemade ORS or alternative rehydration drinks like nimbu pani, dal water, rice water or lassi; parents asking whether milk should be stopped during diarrhoea; parents choosing between curd-rice, khichdi, banana and other easy-to-digest foods; parents asking whether packaged juices or "ORS-like" tetra packs are safe during diarrhoea; parents of babies under 6 months with watery stool; and parents watching for dehydration warning signs. Disclaimer: This video is for general information and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child is different — please consult your pediatrician for the correct ORS quantity in more severe dehydration, and seek immediate medical attention if your child shows signs of dehydration, reduced urination, sunken eyes, dry skin, or unusual lethargy.