Knowledge and practices diarrhoeal and respiratory diseases among mothers of a health institution

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections (IRA) and diarrheal diseases (EDA) are the major causes of child mortality in Colombia and throughout Latin America. The present study describes the knowledge and practices of mothers of children under 5 years attending a health facility in the city of Santa Marta on diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections. We performed a quantitative study of descriptive characteristics and transverse section whose sample consisted of 114 mothers of children under five years who attended an emergency health center in the city of Santa Marta to present EDA and / or IRA. This study found that children under 5 years and, within these, infants 0-12 months are most vulnerable to suffer from EDA and IRA. IRA mortality and EDA are more common in children who dropped out before breastfeeding the first 6 months of life and affect their appearance unfavorable living conditions such as overcrowding, poor medical care and low income.