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PHS311

Child Health

This course, Child Health, is a three-credit unit course. It discusses the physiology and care of the newborn, process of growth and nutrition in children 0-5 years, assessment of the health and immunization status of children 0-5 years. Children who are 'At Risk' for specific conditions, concept of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), conditions which may expose the child to grave danger and the rights of the child.

About this course

Difficulty
Intermediate
Study hours
150 hours
Maths
None
Content
Theoretical
Practical work
No
How it is assessed
  • Tutor marked assignment
  • Final examination

What you'll read

The real module and unit structure of PHS311, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

PHS311 · UNIT 1 CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Young children need dependable, trusting relationships. They thrive in environments that are predictable and nurturing. Understanding theories about how people develop helps form your knowledge base in caring for young children.

What you should be able to do

  1. Discuss the physiology and care of the newborn
  2. Discuss the process of growth and nutrition in children 0-5 years
  3. Assess the immunization status of children 0-5 years
  4. Discuss the concept of Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)
  5. Discuss conditions which may expose the child to grave danger

What it prepares you for

Careers
  • Public Health Officer
  • Community Health Worker
  • Pediatric Nurse
  • Health Educator
Where it is applied
  • Healthcare
  • Public Health
  • Community Development

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

  • Module 1: Child Development Principles and Theories

    Unit 5: Theories of Child Development

    Theories of child development require understanding of different psychological perspectives and their implications for child-rearing practices.

  • Module 5: Concept of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (Imci)

    Unit 4: Adaptation of IMCI to IMNCI

    Adapting IMCI to IMNCI requires understanding the nuances of newborn care and integrating it with existing IMCI protocols.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 46 hours in total. Yours will differ.

  1. Week 1Module 1: Child Development Principles and Theories
    • Unit 1: Child Development · 2 hours

      Define child development. Discuss the principles of development. Explain brain development and its importance.

    • Unit 2: Areas of Development · 2 hours

      Describe physical development. Discuss cognitive development. Discuss social-emotional development.

  2. Week 2Module 1: Child Development Principles and Theories
    • Unit 3: Aspects of Child Development · 2 hours

      Describe the speed and pattern of physical development. Discuss the mechanisms of cognitive development. Explain the factors influencing social-emotional development.

    • Unit 4: Stages of Child Development · 2 hours

      Understand the fundamentals of child development. Discuss maturation in children. Describe adolescence.

  3. Week 3Module 1: Child Development Principles and Theories
    • Unit 5: Theories of Child Development · 2 hours

      Understand developmental frameworks. Discuss Freud's stages of psychosexual development. Discuss risk factors for child development.

  4. Week 4Module 2: Physiology and Care of the New-born
    • Unit 1: Physiologic Adjustment to Extra-Uterine Life · 2 hours

      Describe physiologic adjustments of the newborn. Describe the normal characteristics of a term newborn.

    • Unit 2: Assessment for wellbeing of a Newborn · 2 hours

      Explain and describe the APGAR Score. Discuss the essential care necessary for a newborn. Discuss the required laboratory studies.

  5. Week 5Module 2: Physiology and Care of the New-born
    • Unit 3: Feeding of Newborn · 2 hours

      Explain breastfeeding. Explain how to nurse. Describe manual expression of milk.

    • Unit 4: Bowel Movement, Bathing and Care of the Umbilical Cord in Newborn · 2 hours

      Explain bowel movement in the newborns. Discuss the process of bathing the newborns. Discuss the care of umbilical cord in newborn.

  6. Week 6Module 2: Physiology and Care of the New-born
    • Unit 5: Common Problems after Birth · 2 hours

      Discuss signs and symptoms of Hypothermia. List Symptoms of Hypoglycemia. Discuss clearing of a newborn Airway.

  7. Week 7Module 3: Nutrition in Children 0-5 Years
    • Unit 1: Introduction to Nutrition · 2 hours

      Understand why good nutrition is important. Know about malnutrition and its causes. Know what health and nutrition services are available.

    • Unit 2: Principles of Good Nutrition · 2 hours

      Understand Promotion of good nutrition. Describe types of malnutrition. Describe Critical forms of malnutrition.

  8. Week 8Module 3: Nutrition in Children 0-5 Years
    • Unit 3: Family Diets · 2 hours

      Understand why good nutrition matters in the family. Describe good nutrition behaviours. Discuss common micronutrient deficiencies.

    • Unit 4: Infants and Young Children Nutrition · 2 hours

      Understand why good nutrition matters in the first two years of life. Describe adequate diet for Infants and young children nutrition. Discuss optimal breastfeeding practices.

  9. Week 9Module 3: Nutrition in Children 0-5 Years
    • Unit 5: Health and Nutrition Services · 2 hours

      Describe Health and Nutrition Services. Describe common diseases in children under five years of age. Describe Good caring practices for children under five years of age.

  10. Week 10Module 4: Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Programs
    • Unit 1: Vaccine Preventable Diseases · 2 hours

      Understand Immunization Background and Epidemiology. Discuss major vaccine-preventable diseases. Discuss other vaccine-preventable diseases.

    • Unit 2: Immunization Schedule in Nigeria · 2 hours

      Describe the national immunization policy and National Immunization Schedule. Define routine immunization. Describe what comprises the routine immunization services.

  11. Week 11Module 4: Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Programs
    • Unit 3: EPI Plus and Vitamin a Deficiency · 2 hours

      Discuss Vitamin A deficiency. Discuss Vitamin A supplementation. Discuss the link between Vitamin A and routine immunization.

    • Unit 4: Vaccine and Cold Chain Management · 2 hours

      Describe the cold chain system. Understand the health facility cold chain equipments. Describe temperature monitoring devices.

  12. Week 12Module 5: Concept of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (Imci)
    • Unit 5: Shake Test · 2 hours

      Describe the shake test. Understand what shake test is used for. Describe the procedure of conducting shake test.

    • Unit 2: The Concept of IMNCI · 2 hours

      Understand the rationale for the development of IMNCI. Describe the objectives and components of IMNCI. Describe the strategies and principles of IMCI.

  13. Week 13Module 5: Concept of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (Imci)
    • Unit 3: IMCI Package · 2 hours

      Describe the three components of IMCI for child survival. Discuss why IMCI is better than single condition approaches. Discuss the Key family and community practices.

    • Unit 4: Adaptation of IMCI to IMNCI · 2 hours

      Discuss the adaptation of IMCI to IMNCI. Explain the Kangaroo mother care. Discuss the challenges of IMCI.

Preparing for the exam

What to do
  • Create concept maps linking Module 1 theories to practical child care
  • Practice APGAR scoring scenarios from Module 2 using case studies
  • Review immunization schedules in Module 4 weekly
  • Summarize key IMCI steps from Module 5 using flowcharts
  • Outline child rights principles from Module 6 and relate to real-world situations

Questions students ask about this course

What is PHS311 about?

This course, Child Health, is a three-credit unit course. It discusses the physiology and care of the newborn, process of growth and nutrition in children 0-5 years, assessment of the health and immunization status of children 0-5 years. Children who are 'At Risk' for specific conditions, concept of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), conditions which may expose the child to grave danger and the rights of the child.

How many units does PHS311 have?

PHS311, Child Health, has 29 units across 6 modules, over 269 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is PHS311?

PHS311 carries 3 credit units, at 300 level in Health Sciences.

Is PHS311 hard?

PHS311 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical work.

How long does PHS311 take to study?

About 150 hours of study, spread across its 29 units.

How is PHS311 assessed?

PHS311 is assessed by tutor marked assignment and final examination.

What can I do with PHS311?

Public Health Officer, Community Health Worker, Pediatric Nurse and Health Educator.

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