In plain words
Oral rehydration solution is a drink made of water, salts, and a small amount of sugar. The balance is set so the body takes in fluid quickly. It is used when a person has lost fluid from vomiting or diarrhea. In pregnancy and postpartum, a mother may be told about it if she has a stomach illness and is struggling to keep fluids down. Ordinary sports drinks and juice do not have the same balance. Babies and children are also given these solutions for illness. Some products are sold as ready-made packets. Mothers may hear the term from a provider or from a pediatric visit.
The deeper version
Oral rehydration solution, as defined by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, contains sodium, potassium, chloride, citrate or bicarbonate, and glucose in a ratio that promotes sodium-glucose cotransport in the small intestine. The reduced-osmolarity formulation (about 245 mOsm/L) was adopted by WHO in 2002 after trials showed fewer stool volume and vomiting episodes than the earlier formula. Clinical use in dehydration from gastroenteritis is well established across age groups. Its role in pregnancy is supportive, and it does not replace evaluation of severe vomiting, which can signal conditions such as .
Where it comes up
- Drinking enough waterPregnancy: Eating
- Hydration while breastfeedingNourishment and Traditions
- Hyperemesis gravidarum: when sickness is severePregnancy: Your Body
- Nausea and vomiting in pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about oral rehydration solution
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- World Health Organization and UNICEF — Oral rehydration salts: formulation of reduced osmolarity oral rehydration salts, 2002
- World Health Organization — Pocket book of hospital care for children: guidelines for the management of common illnesses, 2013