The nutrient content and effectiveness of rice flour and maize flour based oral rehydration solutions

The effectiveness of rice flour and maize flour based oral rehydration solution (ORS) in treating mild and moderate dehydration was studied among 88 children aged to 6 to 42 months at the Oni Memorial Children Hospital, Ibadan. In this randomized clinical trial, fifty children were treated with rice-based ORS while fifty-three received the maize-based ORS, over a four hour period. There was clinical improvement in the signs of dehydration with a significant increase in body weights and a significant fall in the packed cell volume following the administration of the two preparations. The maize-ORS contains 4.3 g protein, 179.3 Kilocalories and rice-ORS contains 3.6 g protein and 152.1 Kilocalories per litre of the preparation, respectively. It is concluded that rice and maize based ORS were acceptable and effective in oral rehydration of diarrhoea patients. They may also contribute to the nutrient intake of patients with (mild to moderate) 'some' dehydration. However other sources of energy, protein and mineral intake should be continued in these patients.