[Beliefs and knowledge of a group of doctors about the nutritional management of the child with acute diarrhea].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the beliefs and knowledge of a group of rural physicians on the dietary management of children under five years of age, with acute diarrhea. Physicians' dietary management was compared with that recommended by the World Health Organization.


METHODS
A cognitive anthropology study was carried out from July to December 1998, on ten physicians that care for the infant population ascribed to Hospital Rural IMSS-Solidaridad of San Juanito Bocoyna, Chihuahua, Mexico. Data were collected through focus groups, case vignettes, free listing, pile sorting, and a semi-structured questionnaire, and then cross-referred.


RESULTS
The physicians recognized the negative impact of diarrhea on the nutritional state of the child, but not all of them evaluated this state. Prevailing interventions were antibiotic therapy, fluid management, and feeding recommendations. Among the latter, the most consistent were breastfeeding, delayed feeding, and gradual feeding.


CONCLUSIONS
The obtained information is in conflict with WHO's recommendations, specially with that of sustained feeding. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.
Corral-Terrazas
Martha
M
Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiología Clínica, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México. elema@prodigy.net.mx
Martínez
Homero
H
Flores-Huerta
Samuel
S
Duque-L
Ma Ximena
MX
Turnbull
Bernardo
B
Levario-Carrillo
Margarita
M
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D019090:Case Management; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003469:Culture; D003681:Dehydration / Q000517:prevention & control; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000178:diet therapy*; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000178:diet therapy; D004032:Diet; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D019359:Knowledge; D008875:Middle Aged; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014944:World Health Organization