Oral rehydration therapy in the home by village mothers in Burma

Abstract
Acceptability and effectiveness of oral rehydration therapy (ORT) when given by mothers in the home under village conditions was investigated in six (two control and four test) communities at Htauk-kyant near Rangoon, Burma. The control and test village communities had populations of 2085 and 4278 respectively, of which 218 and 623 were children under five. In the test villages, Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) were made constantly available by providing each household with one packet of ORS, which was replenished whenever a used packet was returned to the field workers during their daily surveillance rounds. In control villages ORS packets were not provided. Daily diarrhoea surveillance was made for one year, including daily weighing of each child with diarrhoea, and across-episode weight changes were calculated. Monthly mass anthropometric measurements (weight and height) were carried out on over 90% of all children in test and control villages. Stool samples were investigated for bacterial aetiological agents.