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Amos is so dehydrated that he cannot even produce tears

"Amos had been ill for a week and his grandmother didn't know what was wrong or how to treat him. By the time they arrived, Amos's condition had deteriorated to the point where he was very weak and lifeless. His body was so dehydrated he couldn't even cry.

Catherine decided to walk to Mkomaindo with Amos, a long hot journey of more than nine miles. Amos's symptoms alerted doctors to the fact that he was suffering acute dehydration. At the time Catherine was distraught, obviously concerned that her grandson might die.

But Amos was prescribed Oral Rehydration Therapy. He spent two days taking Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), a mixture of sugar, salt and water - administered every two hours which enabled his body to absorb water.

Thanks to Oral Rehydration Therapy, Amos improved dramatically and was on the road to making a full recovery."

This is UNICEF story.  Amos is dehydrated from diarrhoea.  According the data from World Health Report 2005,  dehydration caused by diarrhea kills nearly 4,800 children under the age of 5 one day,  that's over 33,500 children in one week alone, and kill s nearly 1.8 million children every year.

The Oral Rehydration Therapy is amazingly simple. It's a mixture of salt and sugar that, when added to water and given to a child suffering from sever dehydration, can bring a child quickly back to health.

Sometime I just couldn't believe it due to my own experience and shocked by the statistics, for example, how can a influenza or diarrhea kill people and so many? How could people not know just to give their child salt and sugar water solution to help preventing dehydration? People don't know their children thirsty?

A single sachet costs just 4p, and made of  salt and sugar, here are the ingredients:

  • Glucose anhydrous food grade 13.5 g

  • Sodium chloride BP 98 2.6 g

  • Trisodium citrate dihyrate BP 98 2.9 g

  • Potassium chloride BP 98 1.5 g

There are scientific names for sugar and salt!  If you couldn't find this kind of Oral Rehydration Salt sachet, you simply make it for yourself mixing the following:

  • 1 liter/quart of purified water

  • 1/2 teaspoon of table salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

  • 8 teaspoons of sugar or 2 teaspoons of Karo syrup

  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt substitute (provides potassium)

This is there suggestion from Palo Alto Medical foundation website, and other recipes for making rehydration solution.
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