RICE-STARCH ORAL REHYDRATION THERAPY IN NEONATES AND YOUNG INFANTS

Rice-starch based oral rehydration solution (ORS) has been shown to be a suitable alternative to glucose-based ORS in the treatment of both choleragenic and non-choleragenic dehydration in older infants and chi ldren. However, in young infants, the wider use of rice-starch ORS has been impeded because of theoretical concern about the poor digestibil ity of starch. The present study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of rice-starch ORS in the rehydration of acute diarrhoeal dehydration in infants below 6 months of age. Sixty-three infants wit h clinical features of acute gastroenteritis were randomly allocated t o two groups. Group A, comprising 31 infants, received a rice-starch O RS and group B, comprising 32 infants, received a glucose-based ORS, T he response to treatment was monitored by weight gain, stool frequency , and decrease in vomiting, The mean weight gain in moderately dehydra ted and mildly dehydrated infants in both groups A and B were closely similar at 12, 24, and 48 h after treatment with the respective ORS so lution. The infants without dehydration receiving rice-starch ORS had significantly greater weight gain at 12 h compared to those receiving glucose ORS, However, this difference was not observed at 24 and 48 h. The results of this study show that rice-starch ORS is as safe and ef ficacious as glucose-based ORS in young infants.