CARE OF PRE SCHOOL
CHILD AND CHILD HEALTH
PROBLEMS
SHEFALI RAWAT
ROLL NO. 114
WHO IS A PRE SCHOOL CHILD
Children between 1-4 yrs of age are considered as
pre school child or toddlers
Pre school child has become a focus for medical
social welfare activities and their death rate is
considered a significant indicator of the social
situation in a country.
CHARACTERSTICS OF PRE SCHOOL
AGE
Large numbers
Mortality
Morbidity
Growth and development
Accessibility
Prevention in childhood of health problems in
adult life
LARGE NUMBERS
Pre school age children represent 9.7% of the general
population in india.
Majority ofthese lives in rural and tribal areas and urban
slums.
Their development is important for the total national
development as they are the human resources of future.
MORTALITY
Pre school age mortality in india is 2.3% of the total
deaths.
Deaths are mainly due to infection or malnutrition.
MORBIDITY
Children are usually victims of PEM accompanied by reatarded
growth and development.
Prevalance of severe PEM ranges between 5-6% and mild PEM is about
40%.
PEM is often associated with other nutritional deficiencies such as
anaemia,xerophthalmia etc.
In the existing environmental conditions diarrhoea, skin infections,
eye infections, measles, intestinal parasitic infestations are common.
Around 5% of them shows signs of vitamin A deficiency.
Accidents are also frequent esp. burns and trauma from home
accidents or traffic accidents.
Some diseases do not kill the victims but cause serious disability like
blindness, paralysis while some manifest later in life eg. Heart
disease and mental retardation.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
First 5-6 yrs of life are very important for growth and development
Any adverse influences during this period may result in severe limitations in their
development
ACCESSIBILITY
Toddlers are hard to access and therefore special inputs are needed like day care centres,
play group centres, childrens club.
PREVENTION IN CHILDHOOD OF HEALTH PROBLEMS IN ADULT LIFE
Certain events in early life can affect the health in adult life and therefore can be
prevented by early action.
Ex. Dental problems in adulthood or treatment of streptococcal infections can prevent
rheumatic heart disease.
Certain congenital anamolies can lead to orthopaedic conditions like congenital dislocation
of hip.
CHILD HEALTH PROBLEMS
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
MALNUTRITION
INFECTIONS AND PARASITOSIS
ACCIDENT AND POISONING
BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT
MALNUTRITION
Scarcity of suitable foods, lack of purchasing, traditional beliefs
leads to insufficient balanced diet resulting in malnutrition.
In India, national family health survey 2015-16 showed chronic
and acute undernutrition in 7 states Haryana, Karnataka,
Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, goa.
In India 35.7 % children under 5 are underweight, 7.5% have
moderate to severe wasting and 38.4 % moderate to severe
stunting.
Malnutrition makes the child more susceptible to infection ,
slower recovery, increased mortality. Undernourished children do
not grow to their full potential or present with micronutrient or
vitamin deficiencies.
Exclusive breast feeding in first 6 months is very important.
Specific nutritional defeciencies
A) PROTEIN ENERGY MALNUTRITION
Characterised by low birth weight if mother is malnourished, poor growth
in children and high level of mortality.
Low height for age reflects cumulative effects of undernutrition and
infectionssince birth or even before.
Low weight for height reflects current severe undernutrition or disease.
A) MICRONUTRIENT MALNUTRITION
It refers to the group of conditions caused due to deficiency of essential
vitamins and minerals such as vit A, calcium, iodine, iron, zinc.
Vit A deficiency is the most common cause of preventable childhood
blindness worldwide . Greater chances of developing xerophthalmia
resulting in severe , blinding corneal destruction
Most common in age of 6 months – 6 yrs since their requirements are also
more.
Iodine deficiency leads to still births, mental retardation, physical
stunning, deaf mute, paralysis.
INFECTIONS AND PARASITOSIS
Leading childhood diseases are diarrhoea, respiratory
infections, measles, diptheria , pertussis, tuberculosis.
Of 4 million deaths/yr due to acute respiratory infections
a quarter are linked to malnutrition and another quarter
to measles, pertussis, malaria, aids.
During 2015 9%deaths of under 5 were due to diarrhoea,
13%due to ARI, 5% due to malaria and 1% due to measles.
Prevention and treatment of childrens illnesses may
interrupt the transmission of infection in the community.
OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING CHILD
HEALTH
MATERNAL HEALTH
Child health is adversely affected if;
Mother is malnourished
She is under 18yrs or over 35yrs
If last child was born less than 2 yrs ago
If she already has >4 births
If she is deprived of basic pregnancy care.
Socioeconomic circumstances
Physical and intellectual development of children varies
with the family’s Socioeconomic circumstances.
Underpriveledged children are more likely to have less
pshychomotor and intellectual performances
Parents education, literacy, profession, income, housing,
poverty plays a role
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental factors play a great role in determining
morbidity and mortality such as
Insufficient supply of safe water.
Inadequate disposalof human excreta
Abundance of insects or other disease carriers.
