Abstract
BACKGROUND: Children, being the future of any nation, not only need special attention but also need a suiTable environment to have proper growth and development. They are also vulnerable to various diseases and disabilities. It is observed that certain maternal characteristics are helpful in the development and survival of such high-risk children. METHODOLOGY: A community-based, cross-sectional, analytic study was undertaken among children under 5 years of age in two slums. The population of both slums was 1550, out of which children under 5 years of age were 196 (12.64%), which constituted the study population. The "high-risk" children were identified based on pre-development criteria of "risk factors." Data was collected by interview technique, physical examination of the children, and checking of medical documents. The data regarding "high-risk" children were analyzed to determine the association of "high-risk" children with maternal factors like birth order, education, and occupation of the mother and child being looked after as the mother's substitute. The data obtained was subjected to standard statistical methods to achieve valid comparisons. RESULTS: The present study revealed that out of 196 children under 5 years of age surveyed, 88 were "high-risk" children which constituted a prevalence rate of 44.89%. A significant association had been found between the prevalence of "high-risk" children and factors like birth order, education, and occupation of the mother and child being looked after by the mother's substitute. CONCLUSION: The study showed a significant association between various maternal factors and high-risk children. Thus maternal social and environmental factors along with enhancing pregnancy health go a long way in preventing high-risk children and betterment of child health.