This prospective
cohort study was carried out in the
neonatal unit of the Yangon
Children Hospital, Myanmar, to gather more information on the types of feedings and hand-washing practices of mothers as the determinant of severe
dehydration in infants with acute
diarrhoea due to
Escherichia coli. The study subjects included 100 infants with
diarrhoea,
aged less than 4 months, admitted to the hospital from June 1997 to May 1998. Data on isolation of
E. coli from
rectal swab samples, types of feedings, hand-washing practices, and
dehydration status were collected. Of the 100 cases,
E. coli was isolated from
rectal swab samples of 48 infants. Of these 48 cases, 28 had some
dehydration and 20 had severe
dehydration. Exclusive
breast-feeding was observed only in the age group < 1 and > 1-2 month(s). The association of the severity of
dehydration with other types of feedings compared to exclusive
breast-feeding was not
statistically significant. In this study, most mothers washed their
hands with
water only after cleansing their children's
defaecation, and before and after feeding their children. The severity of
dehydration was
statistically significant in hand-washing practices when compared to washing with
water only and washing with
soap and water. This study has shown the association between types of feedings and hand-washing practices with
dehydration in infants with acute
diarrhoea due to
E. coli. The results of the study suggest that there is a need for appropriate intervention programmes to promote exclusive
breast-feeding and hand-washing practices with
soap and water after cleansing children's
defaecation, and before and after feeding children.
