Knowledge of mothers about rickets

ABSTRACT

Rickets is a deficiency disease occurring in infancy due to the simultaneous lack of vitamin D and sunlight. In Egypt, the disease constitutes a major health problem in spite of the availability of the sun all over the year. The prevention and control of the disease lies mainly on the awareness of the mother about its early manifestations and the preventive measures. The aim of the study was to asses mothers' knowledge about rickets in order to identify gaps and plan appropriate solutions. The study was carried out on 105 mothers attending the outpatient department of El Shatby Paediatric Hospital and having children suffering from rickets. The study revealed that mothers' knowledge about rickets in general was unsatisfactory. This could be attributed to the inadequate role played by health personnel in educating mothers about the disease