TY - JOUR
T1 - Formative research on hygiene behaviors and geophagy among infants and young children and implications of exposure to fecal bacteria
AU - Ngure, Francis M.
AU - Humphrey, Jean H.
AU - Mbuya, Mduduzi N.N.
AU - Majo, Florence
AU - Mutasa, Kuda
AU - Govha, Margaret
AU - Mazarura, Exevia
AU - Chasekwa, Bernard
AU - Prendergast, Andrew J.
AU - Curtis, Valerie
AU - Boor, Kathyrn J.
AU - Stoltzfus, Rebecca J.
PY - 2013/10
Y1 - 2013/10
N2 - We conducted direct observation of 23 caregiver-infant pairs for 130 hours and recorded wash-related behaviors to identify pathways of fecal-oral transmission of bacteria among infants. In addition to testing fingers, food, and drinking water of infants, three infants actively ingested 11.3 ± 9.2 (mean ± SD) handfuls of soil and two ingested chicken feces 2 ± 1.4 times in 6 hours. Hand washing with soap was not common and drinking water was contaminated with Escherichia coli in half (12 of 22) of the households. A one-year-old infant ingesting 1 gram of chicken feces in a day and 20 grams of soil from a laundry area of the kitchen yard would consume 4,700,000-23,000,000 and 440-4,240 E. coli, respectively, from these sources. Besides standard wash and nutrition interventions, infants in low-income communities should be protected from exploratory ingestion of chicken feces, soil, and geophagia for optimal child health and growth.
AB - We conducted direct observation of 23 caregiver-infant pairs for 130 hours and recorded wash-related behaviors to identify pathways of fecal-oral transmission of bacteria among infants. In addition to testing fingers, food, and drinking water of infants, three infants actively ingested 11.3 ± 9.2 (mean ± SD) handfuls of soil and two ingested chicken feces 2 ± 1.4 times in 6 hours. Hand washing with soap was not common and drinking water was contaminated with Escherichia coli in half (12 of 22) of the households. A one-year-old infant ingesting 1 gram of chicken feces in a day and 20 grams of soil from a laundry area of the kitchen yard would consume 4,700,000-23,000,000 and 440-4,240 E. coli, respectively, from these sources. Besides standard wash and nutrition interventions, infants in low-income communities should be protected from exploratory ingestion of chicken feces, soil, and geophagia for optimal child health and growth.
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U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.12-0568
DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.12-0568
M3 - Article
C2 - 24002485
AN - SCOPUS:84886021322
SN - 0002-9637
VL - 89
SP - 709
EP - 716
JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 4
ER -