Risk factors of persistent diarrhea in children below five years of age
Karim, A.S.; Akhter, S.; Rahman, M.A.; Nazir, M.F.
Indian Journal of Gastroenterology Official Journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology 20(2): 59-61
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0254-8860 PMID: 11305492 Document Number: 539499
A prospective analytic case-control study was conducted to find out the host and environmental risk factors associated with persistent diarrhoea in children from Bangladesh below 5 years of age. 50 children with persistent diarrhoea and 50 controls with acute diarrhoea (matched for age and sex) admitted at a tertiary hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, between January 1998 and July 1999, was enrolled in the study. Most of the children (82%) were aged below 2 years. Among the risk factors, Grade III malnutrition (P<0.008), irrational antibiotic use during acute diarrhoeal episode (P<0.0000005), use of unsafe drinking water (P<0.004) and lack of exclusive breast-feeding up to the first 4 months of life (P<0.004) were significantly associated with persistent diarrhoea. Logistic analysis showed abuse of antibacterial agents (P<0.0001) during an episode of acute diarrhoea and lack of exclusive breast-feeding (P<0.05) during the first 4 months of life as independent risk factors associated with persistent diarrhoea. Improvement of nutritional status, encouraging exclusive breast-feeding during the first 4 months of life, discouraging the irrational use of antibacterial agents for the treatment of acute diarrhoea, and provision of safe drinking water may be important for the prevention of persistent diarrhoea as these have been identified as risk factors in Bangladeshi children below 5 years of age.