A new study has found that diluted apple juice could be an effective treatment for dehydration in children suffering from gastroenteritis.
According to the NHS website, when children experience vomiting or diarrhoea, they are at risk of becoming dehydrated which can become life-threatening in severe cases.
However experts are now suggesting that diluted apple juice could be better at preventing this than over-the-counter products.
Researchers at the University of Calgary in Canada did an experiment involving 647 children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years.
Half of the kids were given diluted apple juice followed by their favourite drink while the other half were given an apple-flavoured electrolyte solution (which is usually administered in such circumstances).
It was found that a quarter of the kids who took the electrolyte solution still required additional treatment, compared to just 17 per cent of the kids who drank the diluted apple juice. The apple juice drinkers were also less likely to need hospital treatment.
Dr. Stephen Freedman, who led the study, said: “These results challenge the recommendation to routinely administer electrolyte maintenance solution when stomach pains and diarrhoea begins.”
He added: “The use of dilute apple juice may be an appropriate alternative to electrolyte maintenance fluids in children with mild gastroenteritis and minimal dehydration.”
The NHS highlighted the need for caution, explaining: “This study shows that diluted apple juice may work as well as rehydration salts for children with mild stomach upsets in preventing dehydration.
“But it might not work for all children, especially those with more serious stomach upsets, babies under six months, or children who are already more severely dehydrated.
“It’s important to remember that the children in this study were seen by a doctor before being allowed to continue with the diluted apple juice.
“They were all over six months old, didn’t have other conditions that might have made the stomach upset more serious (such as diabetes) and had been checked for dehydration or other signs of serious illness.”
The health organisation reiterated the recommendation for parents to encourage their child to drink fluids when they have a tummy bug but avoid giving them fruit juice (as it could make their diarrhoea worse) and consult a doctor if you think they are losing too much fluid.
The results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
