Best Drinks for Diarrhea in Kids

Yes, when a child with diarrhea needs rehydration, oral rehydration solution helps replace water and salts because its balanced sugar and electrolytes promote fluid absorption. It is a standard part of pediatric care for dehydration; no individual studies are cited in this article. Continue breastfeeding or usual formula for babies, and seek medical help promptly if a child shows signs of dehydration.

For an overview beyond children, see the best drinks for diarrhea.

What are the best drinks for kids with diarrhea?

The right drink depends on the child’s age, usual feeding and signs of fluid loss. A child with mild diarrhea who is drinking and feeding normally may be able to continue their usual drinks; oral rehydration solution is useful when extra fluid and electrolyte replacement is needed.

Oral rehydration solution

A commercial oral rehydration solution is the preferred drink for replacing fluid and salts lost through diarrhea. Choose a ready-to-drink solution or a powder intended for oral rehydration, and follow the package directions exactly.

It is especially useful when diarrhea is frequent or the child is showing early signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth or less urine than usual. Contact a clinician for advice if you think your child is becoming dehydrated; a child with severe symptoms needs urgent assessment rather than home treatment alone.

Breast milk

Continue breastfeeding a baby with diarrhea, offering feeds as often as the baby wants them. Breast milk provides fluid and nutrition, and stopping feeds can make it harder for a baby to get enough of both.

A clinician may recommend oral rehydration solution in addition to breast milk if the baby needs extra fluid. Contact a clinician promptly if the baby is feeding poorly, has fewer wet diapers or seems unwell.

Usual infant formula

Formula-fed babies can generally continue their usual formula during diarrhea. Prepare it at its normal strength according to the package instructions; adding extra water changes its balance of nutrients and salts.

Do not routinely switch formulas or replace formula feeds with plain water. Ask a clinician whether the baby also needs oral rehydration solution and how it should fit around feeds.

Water and usual milk for older children

For an older child who is eating and drinking normally and has no signs of dehydration, water and their usual milk can be part of their regular diet. Offer drinks frequently rather than waiting for the child to ask.

Plain water alone does not replace the salts lost with substantial diarrhea, so use oral rehydration solution when rehydration is needed. For babies younger than 6 months, do not offer plain water unless a healthcare professional advises it.

Drinks to avoid as rehydration treatment

Do not rely on soda, undiluted fruit juice, sports drinks or energy drinks to replace losses from diarrhea. Their sugar and electrolyte balance differs from that of oral rehydration solution, and sugary drinks can make diarrhea worse.

Avoid homemade salt-and-sugar mixtures when a commercial oral rehydration solution is available: an incorrect mixture may not replace losses safely. If you cannot obtain a suitable product, contact a healthcare professional for advice rather than delaying care.

Why are some drinks safer than others for diarrhea?

Diarrhea can cause a child to lose water and electrolytes in their stool. Young children can become dehydrated quickly, especially if they are also vomiting, feeding poorly or passing frequent watery stools.

Oral rehydration solution contains a measured combination of glucose and electrolytes. That combination helps the intestine absorb water and replaces some of the salts lost through diarrhea. It is a standard part of pediatric care for mild to moderate dehydration, although a clinician should assess a child whose condition is worsening.

A drink does not need to be labeled for a “detox” or cleanse to help. The priority is replacing fluid safely; the liver and kidneys do most of the body’s detoxification, while the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste.

Why does preparation matter?

Oral rehydration powder must be mixed with the exact amount of water stated on its package. Too little or too much water changes the concentration of sugar and salts, so measure rather than estimate.

Use the type of safe drinking water specified on the label. Do not mix the powder into milk, formula, juice or another drink, and do not add extra sugar or salt. Ready-to-drink products should be used as directed rather than diluted or concentrated.

Wash your hands before preparing the drink, and use clean utensils. Follow the product label for storage and when to discard any remaining solution.

Does a child need to stop milk?

Not necessarily. Many children can continue their usual milk and food during diarrhea, and babies should generally keep receiving breast milk or their usual formula.

Some children temporarily have difficulty digesting lactose after an intestinal infection. If milk seems to worsen symptoms, ask a clinician for advice rather than making a prolonged change to a baby’s feeds or a child’s diet on your own.

How much should a child with diarrhea drink?

There is no single amount that fits every child. The amount needed depends on age, body size, how much fluid the child has lost, ongoing diarrhea or vomiting, and whether the child can keep drinks down.

For a child with signs of dehydration, contact a healthcare professional for an individualized plan. Follow the oral rehydration product’s instructions as well as any advice you receive; the package does not replace an assessment of a child who is becoming unwell.

Start with small, frequent amounts

If a child has trouble drinking or is vomiting, offer small, frequent sips of oral rehydration solution and gradually offer more as tolerated. A spoon or oral syringe can make small amounts easier to offer. Aim the syringe gently into the inside of the cheek and allow the child time to swallow.

Small sips are a starting approach, not a complete rehydration target. A child who has lost a substantial amount of fluid may need a clinician-directed plan and more fluid than these initial sips provide.

If the child vomits

Pause briefly, then try smaller, frequent sips again. Continue breastfeeding if applicable, and do not force a large drink at once.

Seek medical advice promptly if the child repeatedly vomits, cannot keep fluids down or is drinking much less than usual. If the child is difficult to wake, very weak or unable to drink, seek emergency care.

Continue after the child starts feeling better

Keep offering age-appropriate drinks and food as the child wants them. If diarrhea continues, losses can continue too, even after the child initially seems more comfortable.

Monitor drinking, alertness and urine or wet diapers. If you are unsure whether your child is getting enough, ask a clinician rather than trying to calculate a replacement amount without guidance.

When should you talk to a doctor about a child’s diarrhea?

Seek emergency care for severe symptoms

Get emergency help if a child is difficult to wake, unusually unresponsive, too weak to drink, or has trouble breathing. Severe dehydration can require treatment in a medical setting, including fluids given through a vein.

Do not wait to see whether an oral rehydration drink works if a child appears seriously ill. A drink is not a substitute for emergency assessment.

Contact a clinician promptly for dehydration or other concerning symptoms

Call promptly if the child has much less urine or fewer wet diapers than usual, a very dry mouth, no tears when crying, sunken eyes, or increasing sleepiness. Also seek prompt advice for repeated vomiting, inability to keep fluids down, blood in the stool, severe belly pain or a child who is getting worse.

A baby younger than 3 months with a temperature of 38 °C (100.4 °F) or higher needs prompt medical assessment. Contact a clinician promptly for diarrhea in a young infant, especially a baby younger than 6 months, because dehydration can develop quickly.

Ask for individual advice for higher-risk children

Contact a clinician early if a child has a condition that affects fluid balance, such as kidney disease or diabetes, or has been instructed to limit fluids. Children taking medicines that affect fluid or salt balance may also need an individual plan.

If your child has a weakened immune system, another significant medical condition or a complex feeding regimen, ask their care team how to manage diarrhea and when to seek assessment. Do not stop prescribed medicine unless the prescribing clinician tells you to.

Avoid unadvised diarrhea medicines

Do not give a child an over-the-counter medicine intended to stop diarrhea unless a clinician recommends it for that child. These medicines are not a replacement for fluids and may be unsuitable for children.

If diarrhea is not improving, or you are concerned even without a listed warning sign, contact your child’s healthcare professional. Your observations of changes in the child’s normal behavior, feeding and urine output are useful when asking for help.