Danger signs in unwell children under five: can the caregivers identify them?

• Main Authors: Kamaruzaman, Nor Azam, Pasi, Hafizah, Mohd Juhan, Nik Fahmi
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia (AFPM) 2021
• Subjects: RJ101 Child Health. Child health services
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/93565/1/Poster%20Danger%20Sign%20FMSC%202021.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/93565/2/ecertDr.%20Nor%20Azam%20Kamaruzaman%20%281%29.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/93565/13/93565_Danger%20signs%20in%20unwell%20children%20under%20five.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/93565/; https://e-mfp.org/wp-content/uploads/Vol-16-Sup-1_FMSConference2021.pdf

Under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), one of its targets is to end all preventable deaths of children under five years old by 2030. In Malaysia, nearly 30% of the mortality cases are preventable and family factor including delay in seeking care is a known contributing factor. Hence, early detection of danger signs by caregivers is a key strategy. We aim to explore the caregivers’ ability to identify danger signs of unwell children. Many of the caregivers in this study were able to correctly identify most of the danger signs in unwell children under five. This shows that empowering caregivers with home care and seeking early treatment is of paramount importance. On the same note, non-physical sign such as “reduce urine output” may need to be emphasized during safety netting advice.