Aug 7 (HealthCentersOnline) - Contrary to popular belief, new research shows that oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is as effective as intravenous therapy (IVT) for treating diarrhea in children.

Diarrhea is a medical term used to describe an increase in the liquidity or volume of stool or the frequency of bowel movements. It is usually described as loose, watery stools, and may be accompanied by abdominal pain, abdominal cramping, fever, nausea and/or blood in the stool.

According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.8 million children under age 5 die of diarrhea each year in developing nations, largely due to the resulting dehydration. In the United States, approximately 22 million to 38 million episodes of diarrhea affect 16.5 million children in this age range annually. The condition accounts for between 2.1 million and 3.7 million doctor visits and about 10 percent of all hospital admissions annually.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend oral rehydration to treat diarrhea in this population. However, pediatricians in the United States and Canada more frequently order intravenous therapy.

Researchers studied data from 18 trials, half of which were conducted in developed countries, and found that only one out of every 25 children treated with ORT required IVT afterward. When the special solution recommended by the WHO was administered, this figure dropped to one out of every 100 children.

"It seems reasonable that children presenting for medical care with mild to moderate dehydration secondary to acute gastroenteritis should be initially treated with ORT. Should treatment fail, then IVT may be used," senior review author Dr. William Craig of the University of Alberta, said in a recent press release.

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