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How Does ORS Work in a Baby's Body?
During diarrhoea, the gut lining loses the ability to absorb plain water. However, it retains the ability to absorb glucose paired with sodium. ORS uses this mechanism to restore fluids and electrolytes at the cellular level.
WHO-approved ORS contains four ingredients:
- Sodium chloride: 2.6 g
- Dextrose (glucose): 13.5 g
- Potassium chloride: 1.5 g
- Trisodium citrate: 2.9 g
Is ORS the Same as a Glucose Drink or Electrolyte Solution?
ORS is a solution with a precise balance of sodium, potassium, glucose, and chloride. Electrolyte sports drinks, glucose water, and branded hydration drinks do not meet this standard. Many contain excess sugar that can worsen diarrhoea by drawing more fluid into the bowel rather than helping the body absorb it.
Only the WHO low-osmolarity ORS is recommended for babies. When buying ORS for your baby, check that the sachet specifies "WHO low-osmolarity ORS" or lists the standard electrolyte composition on the label.
ORS and Zinc: Why Both Matter
The Indian Academy of Pediatrics and WHO recommend giving zinc supplementation alongside ORS for all children with diarrhoea. Zinc reduces both the duration and the severity of diarrhoea and lowers the risk of repeat episodes in the following 2–3 months.
The recommended dose is 20 mg per day for 10–14 days in children above 6 months, and 10 mg per day for infants under 6 months. Zinc is available as dispersible tablets or syrup.
Should You Continue Feeding During Diarrhoea?
Continuing to feed your baby is important because it maintains nutritional status and supports gut recovery. Breastfeeding should continue throughout a diarrhoeal episode without interruption.
For babies on formula, continue as usual alongside ORS. For older babies already on solids, offer small, frequent meals of easily digestible foods such as rice, dal water, curd, khichdi, or mashed banana. Bananas are particularly useful as they provide potassium lost during diarrhoea, and curd contains probiotics that support gut recovery.
Foods to avoid during active diarrhoea:
- Fried or greasy foods
- High-fibre foods (raw vegetables, whole pulses)
- Heavily spiced foods (curries with whole spices or chilli)
- Sugary foods and drinks (juice, squash, or sweetened porridge)
- Dairy products other than curd or breast milk, such as full-fat milk or cream
What Is the Current ORS Debate in India?
For years, paediatricians and public health experts raised concerns about commercial products, including flavoured drinks, glucose sachets, and branded hydration solutions, being marketed and sold as "ORS" despite bearing no resemblance to the WHO-recommended formulation.
Standard ORS contains approximately 13.5 g of glucose per litre, while some commercial products marketed as ORS contain up to 110–120 g of sugar per litre. High sugar alters the osmotic balance of the gut, drawing more fluid into the bowel rather than helping absorption.
Dr Sivaranjani Santosh, a physician and public health advocate, ran an eight-year campaign documenting and flagging these mislabelled products. In October 2025, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a landmark directive: no food or beverage product may use the term "ORS", or any variation of it, on its label unless the product meets the medical-grade WHO-approved formulation.
Companies that had trademarked ORS-like names were previously allowed a temporary exemption after legal challenges in 2022, but the October 2025 ruling removed that exemption.
Senior paediatricians and neonatologists have welcomed the move, describing it as a long-overdue consumer protection measure. However, awareness at ground level, particularly among caregivers in rural India, remains the wider challenge.
Understanding what ORS is and how it works is the first step to using it correctly, because the right solution, given at the right time, is what protects your baby from the complications of dehydration.
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FAQs on ORS for Babies: What It Is, When to Use It, and How It Works
- Does ORS stop diarrhoea?
No. ORS does not stop diarrhoea. It replaces the fluids and electrolytes lost during diarrhoea to prevent dehydration. - Can I give ORS to a newborn?
ORS is generally not given to newborns (under 1 month) without a doctor's instruction. For babies under 3 months, any episode of vomiting or diarrhoea warrants immediate medical review. For exclusively breastfed infants, increasing feed frequency is the primary management strategy.