A STRATEGY TO MONITOR AND IMPLEMENT CHILD GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT CORRECTION METHODS IN A RURAL AREA IN SONORA, MEXICO

An appropriate health technology to facilite child growth and developm ent in a rural area is presented and documented. Because mother's adeq uate behavior related to child's care does not produce immediate behav ioral or physical changes it is necessary to create a long term social system of consequences. This was achieved joining a longitudinal meas urement system with a program to train mothers to identify and deal wi th health and development issues. During four years, data were collect ed on weight-lenght development and morbility twice a year and simulta neouly skills were taught to diagnose treatment and prevent growth and development problems. After the third session child development and a nthropometry data became the base of a system to assess maternal behav ior, providing consecuences for links in the behavior chains associate d with child care. This system made organization and participation of the community in primary health care programs more likely, wich implie d a better score in each child growth and development chart.