Breastfed babies sometimes need ORT, though far less often than
artificially fed infants.  The WHO recommends continuing to breastfeed
during and after oral rehydration therapy.  Unfortunately, many health
care professionals in the US think the baby should be taken off the
breast and ORT should be substituted.  Research shows that the baby
loses more weight and actually has more stools during diarrhea when they
are deprived of breastmilk.

Huffman SL, Combest C. Role of breast-feeding in the prevention and
treatment of diarrhoea.
J Diarrhoeal Dis Res. 1990 Sep;8(3):68-81.

Wan C, Phillips MR, Dibley MJ, Liu Z. Randomised trial of different
rates of feeding in acute diarrhoea.
Arch Dis Child. 1999 Dec;81(6):487-91.

World Health Organization  The Treatment of Diarrhoea. A manual for
physicians and other senior health workers WHO/CDR/95.3 10/95 Division
of Diarrhoeal and Acute Respiratory Disease Control

--
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  New York City  mailto:[log in to unmask]

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