Diarrhea/Diarrhoea Prevention Step in Children-Zinc Supplementation,Feeding,Water Supply

4th Pediatric Infectious Diseases Conference

ISSN 0973 - 0958

Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children

Prevention of Diarrhea

Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children

Zinc and ORS

Acute Diarrhea in Children

Inflammatory Bowel Disease/IBD

Acute Childhood Diarrhea: Review of Recent Advances in Standard Management

Zinc For The Prevention Of Diarrhea

Oral Rehydration Therapy

Approach To Acute Abdominal Pain In Children

Trachea oesophageal fistula

Vomiting and Diarrhea in Children

Upper Gastrointestinal bleed

ORS - Which one to use?

Acute Abdomen

Malabsorption syndromes

Prevention of Diarrhea

Lactose Intolerance in Infants, Children, and Adolescents

Biliary Atresia and Kasai's Surgery - When is it too Late

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Diagnostic Dilemma

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Results

PREVENTION OF DIARRHEA

Related topics

Introduction

Steps For Prevention Of Diarrhea

Breast-Feeding

Improved Weaning Practices

Proper Use Of Water For Hygiene and Drinking

A Gaffar Billoo, Saira Waqar Ahmed
Department of Pediatrics, Aga Khan University Karachi, Pakistan

Address for Correspondence:

Professor A Gaffar Billoo, Department of Pediatrics, Aga Khan University Karachi, Pakistan. Email : gaffar.billoo@aku.edu

ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION

Zinc is an important micronutrient for a child's overall health and development. Zinc is lost in greater quantities during diarrhea; replacing the lost zinc is important to help the child recover and to keep the child healthy in the coming months. It has been shown that zinc supplements given during an episode of diarrhea reduce the duration and severity of the episode, and lower the incidence of diarrhea in the following 2-3 months. Therefore, all patients with diarrhea should be given zinc supplements as soon as possible after diarrhea has started (6).

CONTINUE TO FEED THE CHILD

The child should be offered small amounts of nutritious and easily digestible foods frequently. If the child is breast fed, try to increase the frequency and duration of feed. Feeding during the diarrhea episode provides the nutrients the child needs for the growth and prevents weight loss. After diarrhea has stopped an extra meal each day for a week will help the child regain weight lost during diarrhea.

TALKING WITH MOTHERS ABOUT PREVENTING DIARRHOEA

Most activities that help to prevent diarrhea must take place in the home. However, mothers and other family members cannot practice diarrhea prevention until they have learned what this involves and understand how best to carry out each preventive activity. Information on the prevention of diarrhea can be provided in a variety of ways, e.g., at community meetings, through schools, during home visits and visits to a health centre.

Provision of water supply at community and national level

Last but not the least, important is the provision of safe drinking water supply to all the communities at the national level in all the developing countries, where diarrhea continues to be major cause if morbidity and a leading cause of death. This needs the commitment of policy and decision makers and politicians of poor countries to allocate adequate resources for basic needs of life, like water and sanitation. It is only then that sizable reduction in diarrhea morbidity will be achieved.

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References

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World Health Organization. The World health report 1999: making a difference. Geneva : World Health Organization; 1999
World Health Organization. The world health report 2000-health system: improving performance: Geneva World Health Organization; 2000.
The treatment of diarrhea. A manual for physicians and other senior health workers, WHO/CAH/03.7, World Health Organization, Geneva .
Excerpted from: WHO 1996. Basic Principles for the preparation of safe food for infants and young children. Geneva WHO.
Gahl, R. et al., "Effect of zinc supplementation on clinical course of acute diarrhea. Report of a Meeting, New Delhi May 2001. Journal of health, population and nutrition, vol. 19, no. 4 Dec 2001, pp.338-346.
Butte , NF Energy requirements of infants. Europ J Clin Nutr 1995; 50: S24-S36.
Brown KH, Black RE, Lopez de Romana G, Creed de Kanashiro H. Infant feeding practices and their relationship with diarrheal and other diseases. Pediatrics 1989; 83: 31-40
Popkin BM, Adair L, Akin JS, Black R, Briscoe J, Flieger W. Breastfeeding and diarrheal morbidity. Paediatrics 1990;86: 874-82
Adair l, Popkin BM, VanDerslice J, Akin J, Guilkey D, Black R, Briscoe J, Flieger W Growth dynamics during the first two years of life: a prospective study in the Philippines. Eur J Clin Nutr 1993; 47: 42-51