Impact of oral rehydration therapy on maternal beliefs and practices related to acute diarrhea.

Maternal beliefs and practices related to acute diarrhea were evaluated in 69 villages of a district in Haryana. Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) programme was introduced in 47 villages; in 25 by health workers and in 22 by health volunteers. Twenty two villages served as control. Impact was assessed by interviewing 200 mothers initially and 210 each, one and two year after initiating the programme. Dehydration as a complication of diarrhea was perceived by 67.2% mothers in health worker and 71.4% in volunteer villages of Intervention area as compared to only 32.8% in control area (P less than 0.01). In Intervention area, 88.6% mothers had tried ORT as compared to 22.8% in control area and 85% of the mothers found it to be useful. The restriction of breast feeding during acute diarrheal episode was favoured by only 15.7% mothers in intervention area and by 47.1% in control area (P less than 0.01). The knowledge regarding use of home available fluids in increased amounts did not show an impressive change. There was no change as regards understanding of cause of diarrhea. Favourable change in beliefs and practices is possible by instituting ORT with culturally relevant health education.