In order to ascertain the convenience of setting up a program for oral rehydration with solutions prepared athome, 100 mothers attending an out patient clinic located in a low income urban area were randomly assigned totwo groups: Group 1 received precise oral (spoken) instruction; Group 2 received the same kind of instructionsplus practical demostrations about the procedure to be employed. Both groups of mothers were requested to dilute20 g. of glucose contained in a small plastic sealed envelope into one liter of water in order to obtain a 111 mmol/1.solution. In 95%of the cases, the expected concentration ± 20% was obtained, this range being considered safe. Inthe remaining 5 % excesively diluted samples were found, representing an eventual decrease in effectivity but not areal risk for patient's health. The differences in glucose concentration were not related to maternal age, nor degreeof literacy neither the number of children within the family. The importance of complementing oral informationwith practical demonstrations is stressed since the variance analysis showed a significantly lesser dispersion ofglucose concentration values in the solution prepared by mothers of Group 2 (p •'CO.OS), in spite of very similarmean glucose concentrations from both groups. A program of oral rehydration with home prepared solutionsappears as a feasible alternative in the treatment of acute diarrhoeal disease in primary health care under theconditions of this study.(Key words: Home-made mixtures. Oral rehydration solutions. Parent's education).