Improving young child feeding during diarrhea. A guide for investigators and program managers.

It is crucial that mothers in developing countries be motivated to continue feeding their small children during and after diarrhea episodes. Such continued feeding along with oral rehydration therapy could prevent many child deaths attributable to dehydration. It has been shown however that if messages about feeding during diarrhea are to be effective they must contain specific dietary recommendations based on a range of nutritional and local considerations. This in turn requires information about mothers current feeding practices during diarrhea. This manual sets forth a step-by-step approach to conducting field studies with mothers aimed at developing effective feeding messages. The approach combines depth household interviews focus group discussions and actual trials of possible interventions or new practices. Its flexible methodology allows both quantitative and qualitative methods to be employed. The methodology consists of 3 phases--problem identification intervention or concept testing and analysis and synthesis--as well as 5 basic steps: review of existing information depth household interviews and observations household trials focus group discussions and synthesis.