Feeding, home-remedy practices, and consultation with health care providers during childhood illness in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

The nature of feeding, home-remedy practices, and consultation with health care providers during illnesses of children in Matlab, a rural subdistrict of Bangladesh, were studied. Data were collected between October 1986 and February 1987 from mothers of children aged 3-36 months. About half of the mothers initiated home-remedies for treating their children. The treatment included: pouring water on the head, feeding juice of herbs, using sanctified water and ORT. The type of treatment was dependent on the nature of illness. The use-rate of ORT was low. Breastfeeding was discontinued for 16% of the episodes; the reduction was the highest for fever with cough, followed by fever and diarrhoea. A reduction in intake of other foods was observed for 39% of the episodes with a total discontinuation for 10%. The reduction was the highest for dysentery, followed by diarrhoea, and fever with or without cough. Total withdrawal of foods other than brcastmilk was the highest for diarrhoea. Contact with at least one health care provider of any type by the fifteenth day of illness was made for 41% of the episodes. The contact rate was significantly greater for children living in the health intervention area; for boys, for infants, for richer households, and for severe cases. A higher contact rate in cases of diarrhoeal illness was observed for children of illiterate mothers than that of literate ones.