MOTHERS AWARENESS REGARDING CONCEPT AND MANAGEMENT OF DIARRHOEA IN CHILDREN OF GUJRAT

Objective: To assess the knowledge of mothers regarding diarrhoea and the management practices of pediatric diarrhoea.Study Design: The design of the study is descriptive and cross-sectional.Duration and Place: The study was conducted at THQ Gujrat from december 2016 to November 2017.Materials and Methods: A Performa was prepared comprising of questions aiming to assess the knowledge of women who are mothers, regarding diarrhoea. A mother of a baby suffering from diarrhoea had been instructed by doctor and presented to these mothers to take the most appropriate answer and assess the situation. All mothers were willing to answer questions included in the study. The results were obtained using SPSS 17. Mean, median and mode are calculated and results are presented using tables and charts.Results: Total 90 mothers were interviewed with children males 43 (48%) and females were 47 (52%). The majority of mothers 60 (66.5%) belonged to low socioeconomic status. The median was 1.5 years of age. Between the ages of 20-30, were 67 (74%) mothers, 17 (19%) mothers were over 30 years, and only 6 (7%) mothers were younger than 20 years. 68 (76%) mothers knew how to correctly prepare ORS , 14 (15%) mothers were incorrect and 8 (9%) mothers did not know how to prepare oral rehydration salts (ORS). 47 (52%) mothers knew the wrong amount 35 (39%) knew the right amount giving after each loose motion. Most of the mothers 40 (44%) were utilizing municipal water, 28 (31%) groundwater, 19 (21%) home water filters and 3 (3.34%) mothers were buying bottled water.Although 40 (44%) mothers thought that as the number of increased stool is diarrhoea, only 14 (15%) of mothers thought diarrhoea as stool with liquid concentration. However, 33 (37%) mothers thought these two features of stool as diarrhoea and 4 (4.5%) mothers did not know about diarrhoea. 26 (29%) of mothers said dirty hands were the reason while, 14 (15%) said the reason was dirty feeder and 15 (16%) said water as pathogen c factor, respectively. 60 (66%) of the interviewee mothers were educated and 31 (34%) were uneducated. 79 (87%) of the women were housewives and 12 (13%) were working women.Conclusion: In all its aspects the mother's knowledge about diarrhoea was increased. It is necessary for the mothers of children of small ages to recognize the signs of dehydration, and it is of more importance for them to know the methods of arranging rehydration salts and given to the children at the time of need and to promote continued conventional feeding during illness. Key Words: ORS; Diarrhoea; Dehydratio