Demographic

Antibiotics and other medications are generally not recommended for use in treating diarrhoeaamong young children. However, Table 10.6 shows that antibiotics were given to 18 percent of thechildren with diarrhoea, and 34 percent were given other drugs. Seven percent received various homeremedies. Only 6 percent of the children with diarrhoea were not taken to a health provider or given anytreatment.Table 10.6 also provides information on differences in consultation and treatment practices whena child had diarrhoea across population subgroups. Consultations with health providers were mostfrequent when the child was 6-11 months of age (83 percent) and had bloody stools (80 percent). Thelowest levels of ORT usage were in urban areas (81 percent) and the fourth and fifth wealth quintiles (83percent and 81 percent, respectively). The low rate of urban ORT use is offset partially by the fact thaturban mothers were more likely than rural mothers to increase the fluids children with diarrhoea weregiven. The highest level of use of antibiotics was reported in the Manzini region.10.4.3 Feeding PracticesMothers are encouraged to continue feeding children with diarrhoea normally and to increase theamount of fluids. These practises are promoted to reduce dehydration and minimize the adverseconsequences of diarrhoea on the child’s nutritional status.To assess changes in feeding practices, if any, mothers of children who had diarrhoea during thetwo weeks before the SDHS were asked whether they gave the child less, the same amount, or more fluidsand food than usual when their child was ill. Table 10.7 shows the percent distribution of children underfive who had diarrhoea by feeding practices, according to background characteristics. Twenty-six percentof the children who had diarrhoea in the two weeks preceding the survey were offered increased fluids. Inthe case of 55 percent of the children, mothers continued to feed the child either the same or more foodcompared with their normal amount or fed the child only somewhat less than the normal amount. Theproportion of children whose mothers reported they both increased fluids given to the child and continuedfeeding is relatively low (15 percent). However, around nine in ten children either received some form ofORT or were given increased fluids and continued feeding.136 | Child Health