WorkingClassMum
23-04-2009, 23:13
Flat coke for tummy bugs 'myth'
Doctors have warned that ‘flat Coke or lemonade could be dangerous to children suffering stomach bug,s’ the Daily Mail has reported. It said new NHS guidance warns that the‘myth that sweet drinks can rehydrate sick children can actually make symptoms worse.
This story is based on new guidelines issued by National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of children under five with gastroenteritis. One of the recommendations is that children with mild diarrhoea and vomiting be given water or rehydrating salt solutions and not carbonated drinks or fruit juice. NICE believes some of the most serious cases could be avoided if parents and GPs followed the best advice early on.
Most children with gastroenteritis can be safely managed at home. Parents and carers should follow the advice and keep children under five hydrated by encouraging fluid intake through water and milk, and to discourage fruit juices and carbonated drinks.
Parents who are concerned that their child is becoming dehydrated should have their child assessed by a healthcare professional. The guideline gives advice on the assessments recommended over the telephone and in face-to-face assessments.
Where did the story come from?
The news coverage is based on the release of new clinical guidance from the NICE, the organisation responsible for giving national guidance for the promotion of health and the treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions.
The guideline: Diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis. Diagnosis, assessment and management in children younger than 5 years, was commissioned by the Department of Health and is available online from the NICE website.
Link (http://www.nhs.uk/news/2009/04April/Pages/FlatSoftDrinksStomachBugs.aspx)
Just FYI - makes sense to me
Doctors have warned that ‘flat Coke or lemonade could be dangerous to children suffering stomach bug,s’ the Daily Mail has reported. It said new NHS guidance warns that the‘myth that sweet drinks can rehydrate sick children can actually make symptoms worse.
This story is based on new guidelines issued by National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of children under five with gastroenteritis. One of the recommendations is that children with mild diarrhoea and vomiting be given water or rehydrating salt solutions and not carbonated drinks or fruit juice. NICE believes some of the most serious cases could be avoided if parents and GPs followed the best advice early on.
Most children with gastroenteritis can be safely managed at home. Parents and carers should follow the advice and keep children under five hydrated by encouraging fluid intake through water and milk, and to discourage fruit juices and carbonated drinks.
Parents who are concerned that their child is becoming dehydrated should have their child assessed by a healthcare professional. The guideline gives advice on the assessments recommended over the telephone and in face-to-face assessments.
Where did the story come from?
The news coverage is based on the release of new clinical guidance from the NICE, the organisation responsible for giving national guidance for the promotion of health and the treatment and care of people with specific diseases and conditions.
The guideline: Diarrhoea and vomiting caused by gastroenteritis. Diagnosis, assessment and management in children younger than 5 years, was commissioned by the Department of Health and is available online from the NICE website.
Link (http://www.nhs.uk/news/2009/04April/Pages/FlatSoftDrinksStomachBugs.aspx)
Just FYI - makes sense to me