Care of infants and children under 6years

-
The home-based childs record appears to be an excellent tool to guide screening activities by health workers and to educate parents. It documents health risks and needs in a way that can facilitate referrals between in addition to the references listed in the footnote to macfarlane et al .(1989)was an important general reference for this section. Different levels of care when necessary ((shah & shah, 1981; shah et al, 1988). The HBCR is a familiar concept, combining immunization records and growth curves with indicators of development at appropriate stages. Recent documents from the united kingdom stress the importance of active enquiry regarding any parental concern about a child s health or development as a means of early detection that can replace many screening tests (butler, 1989; macfarlane et al, 1989).
The use of primary care workers to screen young children within well-child programmes is well established. Documents from the working party in the united kingdom suggest that, given adequate training and supervision , paramedical health visitors could play an important part in screening preschool children for physical and developmental abnormalities (butler, 1989; hall 1989b). a study in nigeria  in the mid -1970s demonstrated the capacity of public health nurses and community nurses ( auxiliaries with training in midwifery and practical nursing )to screen preschool and school-age children for a variety of developmental and physical handicaps, but stressed the importance of adepuate training and of realistic workloads in order to ensure quality (Okunade, 1980). A project in denver, USA in which health aides screened preschool children in extremely low-income families showed that those workers could accurately perform a variety of screening tests, including assessments of speeng, hearing, vision, overall development,and dental caries (Dawson, 1976).
The screening of children for infectious diseases is discussed to a limited extent in this chapter.
The “at –risk “infant or preschool child; the infant/preschool child in the “at-risk” household
Why .in order to keep the “at-risk “child under close surveillance and increase promotional efforts aimed at the family;to refer the ‘at-risk” child for more specialized services if necessary. All low-birth-weight infants should be considered as being at elevated risk throughout the early childhood years (unless their early development indicates the aabsence of special risks), and their households should be the subject of special surveillance and promotional efforts.
How . by enquiry and a review of neonatal and prenatal history, checking especially for low birth weight or prematurity , by routine home assessment by a health worker.by linking the HBCR and the HBCR and the HBMR, key maternal and neonatal risk factors that should guide the preventive and promotional care of the young child can be detected from the prenatal history and from home assessment. Care providers should ask parents whether they have particular worries about the child s health; this is an example of early detection . inadequate immunization status for age may be a good indicator of a child generally at risk who could benefit from special support at the household level. Routine postpartum home visiting may provide a valuable opportunity for a trained health worker to make an assessment of household risk; subsequent visits can be targeted to households and infants at high risk.
When .at first well-baby check.
Resource levels required . low for initial detection; complete assessment may require a medium or high level of training. Resources for intervention may be low, medium, or high ranging from increase psychosocial support from primary care workers or increased socioeconomic  status, in the status of women, and in education.
Recommendation on use of screening. Screening and early detection recommended. however, priority should be given to primary prevention through overall  community wide improvements in socioeconomic status, in the status of women, and in education.

Research priority. Developing and evaluating the effectiveness of methods of training and supervising primary care workers for the assessment and handling of psychosocial and socioeconomic risks.

Popular posts from this blog

Screening of children and adults to prevent and control communicable diseases

-
Image
Screening of children and adults to prevent and control communicable diseases This chapter discusses infectious diseases that endanger the health of the individual affected and sometimes others in the community. Because this material is generally relevant for all age groups , it was thought most convenient to present this as a separate chapter. Prevention and control of communicable diseases should be integral components of comprehensive primary health care programmes  for each general age group and should not be organized into separate vertical programmes focused on specific diseases. General comments on screening for communicable diseases In general, in dealing with highly prevalent communicable diseases that are a significant public health problem, the screening of asymptomatic persons will play a limited role and should be primarily an adjunct to other measures. Emphasis should be placed on primary prevention (often requiring environmental measures )and on public educatio
Read more

How do children get pneumonia?

-
Image
  Children can get pneumonia through various means, and the most common cause is infection with bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms. The infection typically enters the lungs, causing inflammation of the air sacs and leading to the development of pneumonia. Here are some common ways children can contract pneumonia: Bacterial Infections: Bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Staphylococcus aureus can cause bacterial pneumonia. These bacteria can be spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Viral Infections: Viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza (flu), and adenovirus, are common causes of viral pneumonia. Viruses can be transmitted through respiratory secretions or by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus. Aspiration: Inhaling foreign objects, such as food, liquids, or vomit, can lead to aspiration pneumonia. This is more common in young children who may not have fully developed
Read more

Is the cost of the screening and timely intervention operation warranted,given all the considerations covered in items 1-6 above, in comparison with alternative uses of the resources

-
Will the operation divert resources from other measures that are likely to be more effective? What other ways are there of addressing the problem that do not involve screening ? are these better? Will the screening operation divert health workers attention from more crucial efforts addressing the principal health problems of the population ? will it accomplish little but create the impression among the public that their problems are being dealt with and divert their attention from issues of higher priority ? In order to answer these questions , the costs and benefits of the proposed screening and intervention activities must be weighed against those of alternative strategies, taking into account both direct and indirect, as well as immediate and future , benefits . When planned thoughtfully and implemented in a population-based fashion, screening can provide a rational bases for resource allocation. it can be used to ensure that preventive measures are applied where they will have
Read more