title: Diarrhoeal diseases and oral fluid therapy in the Gelukspan health ward.
abstract: This study reports the results on diarrhoeal disease and oral fluid therapy (OFT) obtained during a survey on maternal knowledge and child health in the Gelukspan health ward (GHW) in 1985-1986. We studied 210 women sampled by means of a multistage sampling procedure. Strict selection criteria ensured that the baby had been born in the GHW, that it was the first-born and the only child, and that it had been cared for by the mother from birth until the time of interviewing. All the children were between 12 and 24 months old. Information was collected by interviewing the mother and by analysing data on the home-retained 'Road to Health' cards (RTHCs) of the study children. Ninety-three per cent of the children had an RTHC and 97% of these had at least one record about reasons to visit the health service. Most visits were 'well' visits (71%), 18% were associated with respiratory tract complaints, and 12% were associated with gastro-intestinal complaints (most commonly diarrhoea). Sixty-three per cent of children with data on visits to the health services attended at least once with gastro-intestinal complaints during the first year of life. About two-thirds of the mothers knew the composition of an acceptable oral fluid solution for home therapy of diarrhoeal disease. Only 40% knew how frequently it should be given and only a quarter knew how much to give. After multivariate analysis the only independent variables that remained predictors of knowledge on OFT were maternal knowledge on signs and symptoms of dehydration (SSD) and frequency of gastro-intestinal complaints as recorded on the RTHC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Ferrinho
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gear
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Reinach
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers; D013019:South Africa