A total of 326 Afghan children aged between 6 months and 5 years with uncomplicated nondysenteric diarrhea for the previous 24 h to 5 days were treated at home by their mothers with either wheat-salt solution (WSS) or World Health Organization recommended glucose-oral rehydration salts (G-ORS). For 7 consecutive days the children were examined in the household and the mothers interviewed to assess the progress, feeding practices, and perception of treatment efficacy. Children treated with WSS recovered significantly earlier; the mean duration on treatment was 4.0 days (SD 1.7 days) on WSS compared to 6.4 days (SD 1.7 days) on G-ORS. By the second day of treatment, significantly more mothers using WSS (56%) reported that their children had formed stools versus 11% of their GORS counterparts; the mean stool frequency after 2 days was also significantly reduced; 3 stools day-1 (SD 2.1) on WSS versus 5 (SD 2.9) on G-ORS. The cereal-based solution was not confused with normal food and led to better feeding patterns. By day 2, 74% of the mothers using WSS had resumed their normal feeding frequencies as opposed to 33% of G-ORS mothers. On recovery the WSS group had gained significantly moreweight; the WSS group gained 169 g (SD 142 g) while the G-ORS group lost 150 g (SD 174 g). This study suggests by subjective and objective measures that WSS could be considered as an effective home fluid for the first-line treatment of diarrhea.

Diarrhea Home fluids Oral rehydration therapy Cereals Wheat Afghanistan

Afghanistan controlled clinical trial home care clinical trial oral rehydration therapy human cereal controlled study wheat priority journal acute diarrhea oral drug administration disease duration male preschool child female Infant Article major clinical study glucose oral rehydration solution sodium chloride