Table 2 Free-listing of perceived common illnesses in newborns and young children
Health problem | # mentioned (N = 29) | Equivalent english term | Perceived causes |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Ndani ya chitovu | 23 | Abdominal colic | Occurs in a process of healing an umbilical cord, not used to breast milk, worm in the stomach |
2. Mafuwa | 21 | “Flue (bad cold)”, Chest cold | Coldness |
3. Kukohola | 20 | Coughing | Coldness, pregnant mother carrying heavy load |
4. Kuhaphika | 20 | Vomiting | Fever, excessive breast-milk, Nyuni |
5. Mwilimoto/homa | 20 | Fever, High temperature, “homa” could be malaria | Coldness, bad (cold) weather |
6. Kuharisha | 18 | Diarrhea | Mismatching of different types of foods, fever, erupting tooth, eye contact with eagle, caused by stomachache, husband having an affair with other women, Nyuni |
7. Kulumwa ni masto | 13 | Sore eye | Dust, outbreak |
8. Kulumwa ni masikiro | 9 | Sore ear | Drips of water in the ears during bathing |
9. Kuodzala ndani ( Dzongo ) | 8 | Stomachache, Swelling of stomachache | Dzongo (evil eye), baby swallowing breast-milk simultaneously the person who sees the baby swallowing ones saliva |
10. Uphere | 8 | rash | Dirty clothes, dirty environment |
11. Malaria | 7 | malaria | Mosquito, not using bed-net, coldness |
12. Marenjerenje/ Majipu | 7 | Blister, Boil | Warm/hot weather |
13. Mwalidago | 6 | Ringworm | Do not know |
14. Kurira | 6 | Continuous crying | Being hungry, eye contact with eagle, evil spirit |
15. Nyuni | 6 | Fits, Convulsion, Eye-ball rolling over | Eye contact with eagle, evil spirit, malaria, inheritance, scent of young leaves & shoot |
16. Pumu | 5 | Chronic respiratory disease (asthma) | Coldness during rainy season |
17. Kilimi | 5 | Uvula, sever coughing and vomiting | Uvula, do not know |
18. Manjano | 5 | Yellow fever | Lack of blood |
19. Kukosa choo | 5 | Constipation | Lack of drinking fluid and water |
20. Harara | 5 | Heat rash | Warm/hot weather |
21. Mshipa (kwa wavulana) | 4 | Abdominal pain for boys (reproductive organ problem) | Do not know, coldness |
22. Tetemaji | 3 | Chicken pox | Do not know |
23. Kubanwa na mbavu | 3 | Difficulties in breathing | Coldness, Nyuni, eye contact with eagle |
24. Vidonda mdomoni | 2 | Sore mouth | coldness |
25. Ukambl | 2 | Measles | Outbreak |
26. Kichwa | 2 | Headache | A lot of stress |
27. Kifua kuma | 2 | Chest pain | Drinking dirty amniotic fluid at birth |
28. Riaka | 2 | Stiff neck | Do not know |
29. Kukosa ham ya kula | 1 | Loss of appetite | Dege (baby swallowing breast-milk simultaneously the person who sees the baby swallowing ones saliva) |
30. Kifua kikuu | 1 | Tuberculosis | Inheritance |
31. Kulegea | 1 | Paralysis (physical disability) | Coldness |
32. Kichocho | 1 | Schistosomiasis | Dirty water |
33. Kukosa Kukojia | 1 | Urination problem | Do not know |
34. Kufura Miguu | 1 | Swelling of legs | Do not know |
35. jasho, kutoka | 1 | Sweating | Dehydration |
36. Kucha kuuma | 1 | Pain of nails | Infected blood |
37. Chirwa | 1 | Sickness mainly diarrhea | Father having an affair with other women |
38. Funza | 1 | Jigger (chigger) | Infected blood |
39. Mwalihosi | 1 | Moving of fontanel | Natural to happen to newborn |