Disposal of children's faeces and implications for the control of childhood diarrhoea

Unhygienic disposal of children's faeces is one of the key factors responsible for the high incidence of childhood diarrhoea in developing countries. The aim of this project was to study household behaviours relating to the disposal of faeces of children under the age of five. The study was conducted in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria, where 320 households, containing 540 mothers with children under the age of five were randomly selected. Data was collected by observation using a schedule specifically designed for the study. Our findings show that while over 80% of children under the age of seven months defecated on a napkin, the majority of older children (over seven months of age) defecated on either the floor of the household and their surroundings or outside in the household's vicinity. Mothers usually cleaned up the children's faeces which were then thrown into a pit latrine. In some cases dogs were used to clean up the faecal matter on the floor. In either case faecal residue remained on the floor. The authors recommend educational interventions to change the unhygienic practices relating to clean up and disposal of children's faeces. The interventions include encouraging children to defecate in plastic chamber pots, promoting the practice of hand washing with soap and water after cleaning up the children's faeces and the construction of affordable and ventilated latrines by members of the communities.