RISK-FACTORS FOR DEATHS IN UNDER-AGE-5 CHILDREN ATTENDING A DIARRHEA TREATMENT CENTER

Few case-control studies have examined possible risk factors for diarr hoeal deaths in under-age-five children in the developing countries. W e analysed data from the surveillance system of our diarrhoea treatmen t centre/hospital for the period 1990-94 on 928 children less than 5 y ears of age. In univariate analysis, II factors were significantly ass ociated with death: lack of breastfeeding, severe malnutrition, compli cated diarrhoea, pneumonia, xerophthalmia, duration of diarrhoea 7-14 days, moderate or severe dehydration, recent history of measles, Shige lla flexneri infection, maternal illiteracy, and very low household in come. Rotavirus diarrhoea was negatively associated with fatal outcome . In the assessment of severe malnutrition, weight-for-height measurem ent discriminated mortality risk better than weight-for-age or height- for-age indices. Only two factors retained their significance, severe malnutrition and non-breastfeeding in the multivariate analysis with a djusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 84.2 (9.1, 775.9) and 4.2 (1.3, 13.2) respectively.