Health, Hygiene and Child Development
Health, Hygiene and Child Development
This domain tests personal and family health, hygiene, home safety and the growth and care of children. Expect questions on preventing disease, recognising danger signs, promoting child development and making a home safe.
Hygiene and health
Handwashing with soap at key times-after the toilet, before preparing or eating food, after changing a nappy-prevents diarrhoea and respiratory infections. Use safe water, store it covered, keep food covered, and dispose of waste safely. Immunisation protects children against tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, Hib, pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, measles and HPV; follow the national schedule. Oral health: brush twice daily, limit sugary drinks.
Growth and care
Exclusive breastfeeding for six months, then safe complementary foods from six months while breastfeeding continues to two years. Monitor weight, height and mid-upper-arm circumference; plot on growth charts. Stunting is low height-for-age; wasting is low weight-for-height; underweight is low weight-for-age. Development follows head-to-toe and centre-to-outward patterns: smile, sit, crawl, walk, speak. Play and talk with the child.
Safety
Prevent burns (turn pot handles inward, keep matches away), drowning (cover water containers), poisoning (lock paraffin and medicines), choking (no whole nuts for toddlers), falls and road injuries. Keep a first-aid kit and know emergency numbers.
Worked example
A 14-month-old has watery stool, sunken eyes, no tears and a slow skin pinch. Reasoning: these are signs of dehydration. Give oral rehydration solution in small sips, continue breastfeeding, and take the child to a clinic. Do not give sugary drinks or stop feeding. Teach handwashing and safe water storage to prevent recurrence. If the child is lethargic or unable to drink, seek urgent care.
Traps
Do not say ORS stops diarrhoea-it replaces fluid and salts; antibiotics are not routine for simple diarrhoea; a small child is not necessarily 'just small'-check growth charts; do not introduce water before six months unless advised.