Feeding practices among the infants presenting with acute diarrhoea

To study various feeding practices in children who present with acute watery diarrhea. The objective of the study was not only to study the feeding patterns but also draw an association between different feeding patterns and acute diarrheal episodes Outdoor and indoor unit of Department of Paediatrics Jinnah Hospital affiliated with Allama lqbal Medical College Lahore. Two hundred and fifty patients with acute watery diarrhea of less then 14 days between the ages of I month to I year were included in the study. It was a case control cross sectional study. The data related to 250 patients was collected. The required information was obtained from inother/ attendant of the infant in the questionnaire. All the questionnaire were filled by the doctors. The majority of the infants with acute diarrhea were between 4 months to 1 year 195 [78%]. Forty two [17%] were exclusively breastfed while 78 [310/,] exclusively bottle-fed. Fifty five [22%] had both breast feeding as well as bottle feeding. A large number of mothers 112 [44.8%] gave the teason of insufficient milk for the baby. Majority of the infants with acute diarrhea episodes was between and 12 months when either breast milk is being replaced by bottle milk or improper weaning practices are being used. A large number of infants with acute diarrhea were either mixed fed or bottle fed. Because of increased mixed and bottle feeding there is high incidence of diarrhea in our community

Feeding practices among the infants presenting with acute diarrhoea

To study various feeding practices in children who present with acute watery diarrhea. The objective of the study was not only to study the feeding patterns but also draw an association between different feeding patterns and acute diarrheal episodes. Outdoor and indoor unit of Department of Paediatrics Jinnah Hospital affiliated with Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore. Two hundred and fifty patients with acute watery diarrhea of less then 14 days between the ages of 1 month to 1 year were included in the study. It was a case control cross sectional study. The data related to 250 patients was collected. The required information was obtained from mother/ attendant of the infant in the questionnaire. All the questionnaire were filled by the doctors. The majority of the infants with acute diarrhea were between 4 months to 1 year 195 [78%]. Forty two [17%] were exclusively breastfed while 78 [31%] exclusively bottle-fed. Fifty five [22%] had both breast feeding as well as bottle feeding. A large number of mothers 112 [44.8%] gave the reason of insufficient milk for the baby. Majority of the infants with acute diarrhea episodes were between 8 and 12 months when either breast milk is being replaced by bottle milk or improper weaning practices are being used. A large number of infants with acute diarrhea were either mixed fed or bottle fed. Because of increased mixed and bottle feeding there is high incidence of diarrhea in our community

Current awareness of mothers regarding the use of ORS: knowledge, attitude and practice

To study the current situation about the knowledge, attitude and practice of mothers regarding the use of ORS in children with diarrhea. Hospital based descriptive study. Diarrhea section of Pediatric Department, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. Material and For a period of 2 months [April and May 2003] a single interviewer, according to a pre-designed questionnaire, interviewed mothers of all children aged 1-60 months admitted with diarrhea and signs of some dehydration. Children presenting with severe dehydration, shock, sepsis, or any other primary diagnosis along with accompanying diarrhea like hepatitis, pneumonia, meningitis etc. were excluded. Queries were made regarding mother's education and socioeconomic background, the knowledge of the mother about diarrhea, ORS, source of information regarding ORS use, method of preparation and use of ORS, type and quantity of ORS used. A total of 151 mothers/ caretakers were interviewed. Among the children, 93[61.5%] were males and 58[38.5%] were females, majority [68.9%] is below 12 months of age. Most [41.05%] were from a rural area, and also majority [56.9%] is uneducated. Out of the total, 128 [84.7%] had used ORS, and 23 [15.3%] had never used it. 117 [77.4%] mothers knew that ORS [nimkol] is a rehydration solution. 89 [69.5%] used the commercially available sachet pack, 80 [62.5%] knew the proper method of preparation of ORS sachet pack, while 48 [37.5%] were unable to tell the right way of preparing it. Out of the 23 mothers who had never used ORS, the common reason was lack of knowledge about the use and importance of ORS. 114 [75.8%] mothers came to know about ORS from a health personal, a doctor in majority of cases, but only 28.9% were assessed for the preparation of ORS, and only 45.6% mother were told about the exact quantity of ORS to be used. Conclusions: Majority of children were below I year of age. Majority of mothers, despite being illiterate and having a rural background, knew about ORS use and had used it, but still 47.01% were preparing it wrongly. Although most of them got information from the first medical attendant, but it was rather incomplete, as the quantity of ORS to be used was not told and the mother's knowledge to prepare ORS was not assessed. Sachet pack was the predominant type of ORS used