The Effect of Socio-demographic Status of Mother s on the Management of Febrile Illnesses Among Under-Fives that Presented in a Tertiary Hospital In South-east Nigeria: A Two-Year Review

Background: Infant and child mortality rates due to febrile illnesses are high in resource poor countries especially in sub Saharan Africa. The World Health Organization estimates that seeking prompt and appropriate care could reduce child deaths due to acute respiratory infections, by 20%. There is high disease burden from febrile illnesses with malaria contributing 30-50% of outpatient burden and 35% of hospital admissions. Objective: This is to measure the effect of sociodemographic status of mothers on the management of febrile illnesses in under-fives. Methods: This is a 2-year retrospective survey. A proforma was used to retrieve information from the case notes of underfives who presented with febrile illness in a tertiary health institution in Anambra State from January 2006 to December 2008. Results: Out of a total of 1000 under-fives that presented in the children's outpatient and children's emergency room in the institution during the study period, 400 had febrile illness with malaria accounting for (32.5%) 130 cases of the febrile conditions. Majority of the mothers, 50% (200) were between the ages of 26 and 30 years, and 25%; (100) were illiterate mothers. Fifty percent (200) were traders; 12.5% (50) artisans; 25% (100) were full time housewives, 12.5% (50) were civil servants, while 25.0% (100) did not receive any form of formal education. Conclusion: The fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is to reduce child and infant mortality in the world by two thirds by 2015. As such an understanding of the roles that socio-demographic factors play in improving health and health-seeking behavior is important for public health policy. Findings of this study will equip stakeholders with the necessary input for planning and implementation towards an effective child health care services delivery and attainment of the MDG 4.