When someone is affected by diarrhoea, dehydration is a risk (especially for the old and very young).
With normal digestion, water is absorbed through intestine wall.
In diarrhoea, the bowel contents move too rapidly for water to be absorbed, resulting in water loss.
Often diarrhoea is associated with vomiting so it may be difficult to replace lost fluids.
Note that due to the additional risk of dehydration in the very young, parents should be
advised to call 111 if:4 their baby is under 12 months, particularly if they aren’t feeding
properly; their child is under 5 and has any signs of dehydration; or their child is over 5 and
still has signs of dehydration after using oral rehydration sachets.
