INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Diarrhoea remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity in children in

the tropics as well as the less developed countries of the world. It is

estimated that approximately one billion episodes of diarrhoea occur

yearly among under-five years of age in Africa Asia and Latin-America

with more than four million deaths (Azubuike 1999). Studies in

Nigeria have shown diarrhoea as the commonest causes of death

among hospitalized children under five years of age. Diarrhoea kills by

causing dehydration which causes hypovolemia and metabolic acidosis.

Many children suffer repeated episodes of diarrhoea which leads to

malnutrition as a result of anorexia inadequate calorie and protein

in-take thereby increasing catabolism from infection.

With the advent of oral rehydration therapy or the Salt Sugar Solution

(SSS) the picture has changed in many parts of the world and in Nigeria

in particular among mothers attending post-natal clinic at ABUTH Zaria.

Mothers in post-natal clinic before now use ordinary water or light-maize

gruel boiled-rice gruel as extra fluid as soon as diarrhoea starts some

even stop feeding the child on breast milk believing that the milk is sour

which they attribute to the cause of the diarrhoea. In 1998 the Standard

formula for Salt Sugar Solution (SSS) which is safe and can easily be

prepared even by mothers in the rural areas was published and this was

taught to all mothers at the post-natal clinic paediatric outpatients

maternal and child health centre of the hospital. Of recent it has been

observed that some of the mothers attending post-natal clinic do not

know how to prepare the Standard Salt Sugar Solution at home this was

attributed to the fact that nurses no longer give health talk on preparation

of salt sugar solution as a measure for controlling diarrhoea and

preventing dehydration due to diarrhoea. Hence there are re-emerging

cases of diarrhoea among children under five years old.

Oral rehydration therapy is effective in prevention and treatment of

dehydration caused by diarrhoea and has the potential to substantially

reduce the mortality and morbidity rate of diarrhoea in children

(Akinbami 2004). Management of dehydration remains the corner

stone of therapy for diarrhoea. Oral rehydration usually is the treatment

of choice for all but most severely dehydrated children whose caregiver

cannot administer fluids once rehydration is complete food should be

re-introduced while the oral salt sugar solution (SSS) should be

continued to replace ongoing losses from stool and for maintenance.

Breastfeeding of infants should be resumed as soon as possible.

(Nelson 16th edition).

Statement of the Problem

It has been estimated that 744 to 1000 million cases of acute diarrhoea

occurs in developing countries with an estimated 5 million deaths among

children under five years of age. This was the rationale for the

intervention programme initiated in 1998 by the World Health

Organisation (WHO) to reduce diarrhoea mortality and morbidity (Potts

2005). Since an estimated 50 t0 60% diarrhoea deaths are acute and

probably due to dehydration the researcher intends to find out how oral

rehydration therapy has been effective in the management of diarrhoea

and how informed mothers are about the use and preparation of oral

rehydration solution and also to remind healthcare workers the need for

continuous health talks on oral rehydration therapy.

Objective of the Study

1. To find out mothers knowledge on how to prepare oral rehydration

solution in Zaria.

2. To identify the percentage of mothers who use oral rehydration

therapy for treatment of diarrhoea in Zaria.

3. To find out the level of awareness of the educated and

non-educated mothers in the use of oral rehydration therapy in

Zaria.

Significance of the Study

Every care provider is expected to evaluate his services from time to

time to enable him meet contemporary needs of his clients as well as

maintain an up-to-date/current innovations in the health care delivery

sector.

This study is aimed at creating awareness on the effectiveness of oral

rehydration therapy in the management of diarrhoea. Through the

findings of the study suggestions will be made on areas of improvement

especially on the use of home remedies in management of diarrhoea.

The study will also serve as reminder to paediatric nurses midwives

and all health workers on the need to health-Educate mothers on the

prevention of dehydration through the use of oral rehydration therapy. It

is also aimed at soliciting government assistance in making oral

rehydration salt free in all the Nation Hospital especially in the paediatric

units.

The findings of this study will serve as a guide to future students

midwives and paediatricians in their management of diarrhoea in

children as well as a future reference material for research purposes

and studies.

Research Questions

1) What is the knowledge of mothers on how to prepare oral

rehydration solution?

2) What is the percentage of mothers that use oral rehydration

solution for treatment of diarrhoea?

3) What is the level of awareness of the educated and non-educated

mothers on the use of oral rehydration ?

Scope of the Study

This study is only limited to mothers seen in the post-natal clinic in

ABUTH Zaria. The researcher is aware that many mothers attend clinics

elsewhere in private clinics hospitals general hospitals and specialist

hospitals within and outside Zaria. ABUTH Zaria being a centre of

excellence and one of the oldest Teaching Hospital in Northern Nigeria

serves as a reference centre for most patients in the north and it remains

one of the relatively cheap hospitals compared to other hospitals in the

country with high patronage.

Operational Definition of Terms

Anorexia: A medical term for loss of appetite

Catabolism: A chemical process by which constituents of Food.

Stored in the body are broken down to release Energy into the body

cells.

Convulsion: Twitching or jerking of the limbs with loss of

Consciousness.

Dehydration: A condition in which a person’s water content

is at a dangerously low level.

Diarrhoea: An increased frequency or volume of bowel

movement.

Hypokalemia: A deficiency of potassium in the blood usually

Caused by excess of fluid loss due to diarrhoea.

Hypovolemia: An abnormally low volume of blood in the

Circulation usually due to loss of fluids from

Diarrhoea.

Metabolic Acidosis: Disturbance of body acid-base balance

in which there is loss of bicarbonate (alkali) as a result of severe

diarrhoea.

Mortality: The death of live born infants during the first

Year of life.

Oliguria: Tthe production of low quantities of urine in

Proportion to the volume of food taken in.

Pulmonary Dedema: Accumulation of fluid in the lungs.

Knowledge: General awareness or possession of information

facts ideas truths or principles.

Mothers: A title of respect for a woman past middle age.

Oral Rehydration: A liquid specially formulated to be given as a

drink to correct the water mineral and nutritional deficiencies in an

individual especially in infant who is affected by dehydration.

Therapy: A treatment to cure or rehabilitate somebody.