Concepts, Beliefs, and Traditional Treatment for Childhood Seizures in a Quilombola Community in Northeastern Brazil: Analysis by the Discourse of the Collective Speech.

Izabel Cristina Santiago Lemos De Beltrão,Luiz De Beltrão Lima Junior,Marta Regina Kerntopf,Gyllyandeson De Araújo Delmondes,Yasmin Ventura Andrade Carneiro

doi:10.3390/ijerph18041875

Abstract

Background: Non-pharmacological therapy related to traditional, magical, and/or religious treatments for managing recurrent and non-recurrent seizures in children persists in several traditional communities. The research aims to investigate the concepts, beliefs, and types of traditional treatments used for cases of seizures in children reported by residents of a quilombola community. Methods: The research took place in the quilombo community Sítio Arruda, Ceará, northeastern Brazil. The study population consisted of 19 participants, including healers, prayers, and midwives. Applied a socioeconomic form and a semi-structured interview script. For data analysis, the Discourse of the Collective Speech (DCS) technique was used. Results: For the questions asked, a total of 14 central ideas were found. The most prevalent was seizure is the most common type of disease in children (50.0%); The seizure occurs because of the fever (42.0%); In the community, we treat and prevent seizures with the use of plants (63.2%). Conclusions: The present study’s results addressed relevant issues that include valuing and understanding the traditional knowledge of the community, access to health services, and the need for clarification actions about seizures.

Highlights

Seizures are the most common neurological disorder during childhood
The most reliable words to refer to seizures in the community was: attack, child shaking, and head disease, with the word attack expresing the greatest number of characteristics as described by the interviewed residents of Sítio Arruda
The tables, the data referring to the Discourse of the Collective Speech (DCS), elaborated through the interviewees’ oral expressions, from the four questions formulated for the study, follow

Summary

Introduction

Seizures are the most common neurological disorder during childhood. Approximately 10% of the world population has the possibility of having a type of seizure disorder, of which 50% will occur during childhood and adolescence, with a higher risk in the age group of neonates (0–29 days) and infants (1 month–11 months) and 29 days) [1].Symptoms related to seizures are potentially frightening and inherently dramatic for family and friends. Seizures are the most common neurological disorder during childhood. 10% of the world population has the possibility of having a type of seizure disorder, of which 50% will occur during childhood and adolescence, with a higher risk in the age group of neonates (0–29 days) and infants (1 month–11 months) and 29 days) [1]. They can represent epilepsy—severe neurological damage—, associated psychiatric disorders and relevant impact on the quality of life, causing withdrawal and social isolation, strengthening the stigma that permeates seizures [2]. The treatment objective is, in the case of acute seizures, to treat the triggering cause of the seizure, such as fever and infections, reducing the risk of neurological damage. Chronic seizures treatment aims to provide a good quality of life using antiepileptic drugs [3]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion