This article reports on strategies developed by female street vendors (vendedoras ambulantes) in Mexico City to ensure the care of their young children in the absence of a specific and operational government policy to fulfil this need. The information concerning child care and health was gathered by a survey of 426 street traders selected by multi-stage random cluster sampling in four of the administrative districts (delegaciones politicas) of Mexico City during 1990. It was found that, as mothers of young children, street vendors most frequently looked after their children personally on the street or left them with other members of the family. Related factors were availability of alternative child care providers in the family, the age of the children and working conditions of the mother. Children who remained on the streets with their mothers suffered more frequently from gastro-intestinal diseases and accidents than the national average. The incidence of acute respiratory diseases, however, was similar in the cases of maternal care in the street and care by family members in another environment. Existing public health measures show a greater concern for the health of food consumers than that of workers in this area. Current public policy seeks to regulate street vending activities and to concentrate traders in ad hoc areas and facilities. Our research results document the need for actions that can contribute to an improvement in the care and health conditions of these young children.
PIP: Informal street trading has expanded to a greater extent in Mexico City than anywhere else in the rest of the country. Women are increasingly involved in this activity. However, individuals working in the informal sector are not covered by social security, and thus lack access to medical services. Mothers working in the informal sector lack access to day care centers for their children. This paper explains how female street vendors in Mexico City care for their children under age 3 years. 426 street traders randomly selected in four administrative districts in 1990 were surveyed. These mothers most often looked after their young children personally on the street or left them with other family members. Related factors were the availability of alternative child care providers in the family, the age of the children, and the working conditions of the mother. Children who remained on the streets with their mothers more frequently experienced gastrointestinal diseases and accidents than the national average. The incidence of acute respiratory diseases, however, was similar in the cases of maternal care in the street and care by family members in another environment. Existing public health measures show a greater concern for the health of food consumers than that of workers in the area. Current public policy seeks to regulate street vending activities and to concentrate traders in ad hoc areas and facilities.