A case-control study was undertaken in Basrah Maternity and Children Hospit
al, Iraq. We studied 148 children who were admitted to hospital with severe
pneumonia according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and th
e controls were 250 children attending the out-patient department for non-s
evere respiratory infections. Significant risk factors were younger age (2-
6 months), low parental education, smoking at home, prematurity, weaning fr
om breast milk at < 6 months, a negative history of diphtheria, pertussis a
nd tetanus vaccination, anaemia and malnutrition.