Traditional medicine, delays and hospital mortality of children under five years of age in the rural district of Kigoma, western Tanzania: an observational hospital-based study.
The use of traditional medicine in the treatment of 596 children aged 0-60 months before admission was common (41.4 %). Children were more likely to die if they had first been treated with traditional medicine (50/244; 20.5% vs 29/342; 8.5%) or were younger (median 9 vs 12 months old.) Children who had received traditional medicine were younger (median 11 vs. 13 months), came later for hospital treatment (median three vs. five days), had a longer journey on foot to reach the health centre (3.4 vs. 2.9 h), and died from common diseases and not from an obvious toxic syndrome.
Blanke
Christoph H
CH
Medizinische Klinik II, St-Marienkrankenhaus Siegen, Siegen, Germany. christophblanke@yahoo.com
Naisabha
Godson B
GB
Lange
Christine R
CR
D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D012424:Rural Population; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology