CHARACTERISTICS OF PERSISTENT DIARRHEA IN A TUNISIAN CHILD POPULATION

Background. - Persistent diarrhea (PD) is recognized as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world. Patients and metho ds. - The files of all children, less than 5 years of age, admitted in 1990 and 1991 for diarrhea persisting from 14 to 30 days have been re trospectively analysed. Socio-economic factors, history of disease, ch anges in feeding, nutritional status and clinical data of the DP have been specially recorded. Results. - During these 2 years, 74 children were admitted (93% of them were less than 12 months old). Two-thirds o f the patients were issued from suburban-living poor families. DP was more frequent during September and October (42%), the usual period of malnutrition. Although only 23% of the mothers had reported history of acute diarrhea, 35% of them did not exclude it. Sixty-nine percent of the children were breast-fed and 82% were bottle-fed before 12 months of age. Dietary intake was stopped during the acute episode in 52% of cases. There were no chronic malnutrition, but 69% of patients were s uffering from acute malnutrition. Dehydration was present in most case s and was severe in 33% of them. Death occurred in three children. Con clusions. - These results show that, among usual risk factors of PD bo ttle-feeding, diet errors and history of acute diarrhea seem to be par ticularly frequent in this Tunisian population.