Slide 1
The problem of diarrhoea
This is Suki, who is one year old. He has severe diarrhoea. Look at the yellow
on his buttocks and on the white towel below. This is his stool. He has abdominal
pains which make him cry, and he has eaten very little for two days. His
mother is very worried because this is his third attack of
diarrhoea this year, and he is becoming thin and weak. She thinks that he has
some strange and serious illness. You can see in the picture that he is just
lying there. His mother wants you to give Suki an injection or some of those
wonderful red and black capsules.
Q. Do you agree with Suki's mother that he has a strange illness?
A. No, Suki's illness is not at all strange. Diarrhoea is a very common problem
for children especially in countries. Probably, on average, children have
about two attacks of diarrhoea each year. So they have nearly ten attacks
of diarrhoea before they are five years old. Some children have ten attacks in
one year.
Q. In which of the first five years of a child's life is diarrhoea commonest?
Why?
A. Diarrhoea is commonest in the second year of life. At this age, children are
eating food which may be contaminated and they put dirty things into their
mouths.
