Here in the United States, an estimated 500 American children die annually from diarrhea, and the illness is not seen as a major threat. As a result, doctors often do not recommend ORT for their young patients. The deaths that do occur happen mostly in the winter months while the flu season is in full swing. Nearly all of them are preventable, researchers say, because dehydration can be avoided with proper medical attention and oral rehydration fluid. Treating Diarrhea Oral rehydration therapy was developed in the 1950s for developing countries, where diarrhea is common.
American children average only one or two bouts with diarrhea yearly.
But those illnesses can still be dangerous. The best way for parents to keep their children from getting dehydrated is by stocking the medicine chest with at least one bottle of oral rehydration fluid. Diarrhea frequently starts at night, and a small child can get dehydrated very quickly. Yet many physicians do not recommend ORT for children suffering from diarrhea. According to a 1991 study published in the medical journal, Pediatrics, most pediatricians don't follow the guidelines for treating diarrhea set by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1985.