Health seeking behaviour of mothers for their infants having diarrhoea Inperi-urban areas Of Rohtak City.

Research question: What is the incidence of diarrhoea among infants and the health seeking behavior of their mothers? Objective: To know the health seeking behaviour of mothers for their infants having diarrhoea. Setting: Peri-urban area of Rohtak city served by PGIMS Rohtak. Study units: Mothers of infants aged 3-12 months. Study design: Cross-sectional design. Sample size: 400 randomly selected mothers having infants aged 3 to 12 months in the total study population. Study variables: Diarrhoeal episodes in last three months home management and ORS use personnel contacted treatment sought and cost incurred. Results: 40.5% infants had diarrhoeal episodes in the preceding 3 months. Average number of episodes of diarrhoea was 4.1 per child annually. Diarrhoeal episodes among infants aged 3-6 6-9 and 9-12 months were 2.7 3.8 and 5.6 respectively and the difference was significant. 58.6% mothers did not use any household measures to manage diarrhoea. ORS and home available fluids were used by 17.9% and 6.8% mothers only and the practice was not significantly different for male and female infants. Respective duration of home management for male and female infants was 2.2 and 1.8 days. The average duration of treatment from doctors/quacks was 6.8 days and the average cost of treatment incurred was Rs. 305 and it was significantly more for boys (Rs. 346) than for girls (Rs.260). Diarrhoea is still common among infants in peri-urban colonies. Use of ORS and home management of diarrhoea need to be promoted in addition to improvement in sanitation and supply of potable water in these areas.