Methods of Childcare Used by Mothers of Children Aged Between 0-6 : A Study in the Province of Muş

Abstract

This paper reports on a study carried out in 1999 in the province of Muş. Questionaire-based interviews were conducted with 250 families in order to determine the type of childcare they used and their reasons for chosing traditional methods in looking after their children aged between 0-6. The results show that 40.8 % of the families use medicine in treatment. It was determined that the percent of the families that see doctors in the case of hepatitis, fever, constipation and diarrhea are 18.9%, 38.0%, 27.2% and 21.2% respectively, with the rest of the families prefering to apply traditional methods or not to use any treatment. It is seen that 81.6% of the families apply traditional methods of swaddling their babies.
The study shows that the families-prefer to use modem methods in the case of navel care, first breastfeeding, timing of breastfeeding and toilet training. More often, however, they apply traditional methods in swaddling, weaning, giving the first water, changing diapers and in the first nail cutting. The high ratio of use of modem methods is noted with approval.
Lack of social security, economical problems, and being uninformed or misinformed about diseases are the main factors underlying the choice of traditional childcare methods.