PARENTS whose children get sick are ready to climb walls at the sight of their bedridden kids. When a child is down with stomach flu, gastroenteritis, and suffers from diarrhea, what is a parent to do?
Of course, there’s the family doctor to dispense with the meds. One of these usually is an electrolyte solution that’s meant to rehydrate the patient. Usually, they are not to the liking of children, no matter if they taste sweet.
What to do?
A Reuters health story based on scientific study can help. It says that half-strength apple juice can help some kids get through stomach flu.
Will Boggs MD reported that when little kids have the stomach flu and need to drink fluids, half-strength apple juice – and whatever fluid the child prefers – can be as effective as expensive electrolyte solutions, researchers say.
The treatment of stomach flu, or gastroenteritis, usually focuses on replacing fluids lost through diarrhea or vomiting, but the electrolyte solutions are relatively expensive and kids often don’t like the way they taste.
* * *
Reuters Health continued: “In many high-income countries, the use of dilute apple juice and preferred fluids may be an appropriate alternative to electrolyte maintenance solution used in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration,” according to Dr. Steven D. Freedman from University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.
Freedman’s team studied 647 children ages six months to five years old who came to the emergency department with mild dehydration from stomach flu.
Half the children were given half-strength apple juice followed by their favorite drink, and half received an apple-flavored electrolyte solution, the researchers reported in the “Journal of the American Medical Association.”
Twenty-five percent of the kids who drank the electrolyte solution still needed intravenous (IV) fluids or other additional treatment, compared to only about 17 percent of the kids who drank apple juice and their favorite drink.
* * *
TRIVIA PA MORE: Peaches are the third most popular fruit grown in America.
* * *
We are eating 900% more broccoli than we did 20 years ago.
* * *
There are more than 600 pasta shapes produced worldwide.
* * *
Geomelophagia is someone who has the urge to eat raw potatoes.
* * *
9th August is officially National Rice Pudding Day.
* * *
Rice can be used in beer, dog food, baby food, breakfast cereals, snacks, frozen foods and sauces.
* * *
October is National Pasta Month.
* * *
Send your questions on anything and everything to Kuya Kim through my Twitter account @kuyakim_atienza using #AlaminKayKuyaKim.
Ating tuklasin ang mga bagay-bagay na di niyo pa alam. Walang ’di susuungin, lahat aalamin. Ito po si Kuya Kim, Matanglawin, only here in Tempo. (KIM ATIENZA)