Immediate return visits
There will be situations where the mother should not wait for the prescribed time for follow-up but should return to the health professional immediately. It is extremely important that you stress this to the mother when you advise her about follow-up visits.
Summary of when to return immediately to the health facility.
| Advise the mother to return immediately if the child has any of these signs: | |
|---|---|
|
Any sick child |
∙ Not able to drink or breastfeed ∙ Becomes sicker ∙ Develops fever |
|
If child has no pneumonia: cough or cold |
∙ Fast breathing ∙ Difficult breathing |
|
If child has diarrhoea |
∙ Blood in stool ∙ Drinking poorly |
In your health facility, you may have the mother's card resource. You can use the Mother's Card when teaching her the signs for when to return immediately. Use local terms that the mother can understand. The Mother's Card presents the signs in both words and drawings. Be sure to check the mother's understanding so that you are satisfied that she knows in what circumstances she should return to the health facility immediately with her child.