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[Acute diarrheal diseases and feeding practices among children under five years in Mexico]
Elizabeth Ferreira-Guerrero1, Norma Mongua-Rodríguez1, José Luis Díaz-Ortega1
1Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.
Insights
Acute diarrheal diseases (ADD) prevalence in children under five decreased from 2006 to 2012, especially in lower socioeconomic groups. Reinforcing preventive and treatment practices among caregivers is crucial.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Acute diarrheal diseases (ADD) pose a significant health risk to children under five.
- Understanding prevalence, warning signs, and feeding practices is vital for effective public health interventions.
Purpose:
- To estimate the prevalence of ADD in children under five.
- To describe parental recognition of alarm signs and feeding practices during ADD episodes.
Summary:
- ADD prevalence declined from 13.1% in 2006 to 11.0% in 2012, with a notable decrease in lower socioeconomic status populations.
- Parents and caregivers (PCG) primarily identified frequent bowel movements as a warning sign, overlooking critical indicators like crying without tears or blood in feces.
- Only 42% of PCG reported administering oral rehydration therapy (ORT), highlighting a gap in appropriate treatment practices.
Impact:
- Findings underscore the need for enhanced education on recognizing severe ADD symptoms and promoting ORT administration.
- Targeted interventions for lower socioeconomic groups and younger mothers are recommended to further reduce ADD incidence and improve child health outcomes.
Objective:
To estimate the prevalence of acute diarrheal diseases (ADD) during the two weeks previous to the interview among children <5 years of age and to describe alarm signs and feeding practices of parents and caregivers (PCG) during children's ADD.
Materials And Methods:
Analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Surveys 2012 and 2006 and the National Health Survey 2000.
Results:
ADD prevalence decreased significantly from 2006 (13.1%) to 2012 (11.0%), particularly in the lower socioeconomic status. "Frequent bowel movements" were the main warning sign identified by PCG (66.0%) in contrast to "crying without tears" (4.3%) and "blood in faeces" (0.5%); only 42% PCG reported administering oral rehydration therapy. Factors associated with ADD were child's age <1 year and mother's age <20 years.
Conclusions:
It is necessary to reinforce appropriate ADD preventive and treatment practices among PCG of children <5 years of age.
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