ABSTRACT
A total of 838 children under 5 yr of age were followed up in 2 villages of Punjab for a period of one year for diarrhoea morbidity, oral rehydration solution (ORS) usage and nutritional status. Overall frequency of diarrhoea was 0.78 episode/child/year. Children weighing less than or equal to 70 per cent of reference weight for age had about 25 per cent higher incidence of diarrhoea (102 episodes/100 child/yr) as compared to those who weighed greater than or equal to 71 per cent (75 episodes/100 children/yr; P less than 0.05). At the end of one year there was no significant difference in the weight and arm circumference growth of children who had diarrhoea and received ORS and those who did not. Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for age criteria) in children with and without diarrhoea at the beginning and end of the study also remained unchanged, irrespective of ORS usage. These observations indicate that in rural areas with low diarrhoea morbidity (i) pre-existing malnutrition (weight for age less than 70%) is associated with 25 per cent higher diarrhoea incidence; (ii) acute diarrhoea does not significantly affect weight and arm circumference growth and prevalence of malnutrition; and (iii) the long-term nutritional benefit of ORS if any, is doubtful.