Local bacterial infection

Young infants with local bacterial infection usually have an infected umbilicus or a skin infection. The young infant needs to be referred to the health centre to get an appropriate oral antibiotic which can be administered by the mother for five days. The mother should therefore treat the local infection at home and give home care to her child and then return for a follow-up visit to the health post within two days to be certain the infection is improving. Bacterial infections can progress rapidly in young infants, so it is important that the mother understands she must return for you to check her young infant’s progress. You will learn in Study Session 14 of this Module how to teach mothers to treat local infections at home.