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Diarrhoea and child feeding practices in Saudi Arabia
Ibrahim Ahmed Bani1, Abdallah Abdul Wahid Saeed, Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al Othman
1Department of Community Health Sciences, Applied Medical College, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. banii@un.org
Insights
Diarrhoea is common in young children in Riyadh, affecting nearly a quarter annually. Many mothers reduce feeding or fluids during illness, highlighting a need for improved health education on proper care practices.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Diarrhoea remains a significant health concern in children under two years old.
- Understanding the prevalence and maternal management of childhood diarrhoea is crucial for effective public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of diarrhoea in children under two years old in Riyadh.
- To investigate the relationship between diarrhoeal episodes and maternal actions taken during these episodes.
Main Methods:
- A study was conducted in Primary Health Care Centres (PHCCs) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
- Prevalence of diarrhoea and associations with sociodemographic factors and anthropometric measurements were examined in children under two years of age.
- Predictive factors for diarrhoeal disease and maternal responses were explored.
Main Results:
- Nearly 25% of children experienced diarrhoea in the two weeks prior to data collection, averaging six episodes per child annually.
- Diarrhoea was more prevalent in children over six months, those without vaccinations, and those cared for by others when mothers worked outside the home.
- Maternal actions included decreased breastfeeding (25%), reduced fluid intake (11.3%), and decreased solid food (22.7%). Oral rehydration salt was used in over 40% of cases, and unprescribed antibiotics in 17%.
Conclusions:
- Diarrhoea is highly prevalent in children under two in Riyadh.
- Interventions through PHCCs are needed to address suboptimal maternal practices during childhood diarrhoea.
- Health education should emphasize the importance of continued feeding during diarrhoeal episodes.
Objective:
The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of diarrhoea in children less than two years old and study the relationship between diarrhoeal episodes and action taken for these episodes by their mothers.
Design:
The prevalence of diarrhoeal episodes among children and its associations with sociodemographic information and anthropometric measurements of the subjects was examined. Predictive factors for morbidity-associated diarrhoeal disease and actions taken for this were explored.
Setting:
Primary health care centres (PHCCs) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Subjects:
Children less than two years of age.
Results:
Nearly a quarter of the children contracted diarrhoea during the two weeks preceding the data collection point, giving about six episodes of diarrhoea per child per year. Diarrhoea was more common in children over 6 months of age, in children who had no vaccination or follow-up cards, and in those who were taken care of by friends and neighbours if their mothers were working outside the home. The mothers of the affected children were young, married before 25 years of age with 2-6 years of formal schooling. During diarrhoeal episodes, about 25% of mothers stopped or decreased breast-feeding, 11.3% reduced the volume of fluids given to their children, and 22.7% of children were fed less solid/semi-solid foods. Mothers used oral rehydration salt in more than 40% of diarrhoeal episodes and unprescribed antibiotics were used in 17% of cases. The mothers who were not taking appropriate action included young mothers with low education level and those working outside the home.
Conclusion:
Diarrhoea is common in children less than two years old in Riyadh City, and intervention based in PHCCs needs to be undertaken to correct the faulty practices of mothers during diarrhoeal episodes in their children. Health education messages should emphasise feeding during diarrhoeal episodes.