Risk factors for febrile, presumed viral illness in the first ten weeks of life.
OBJECTIVE
We attempted to identify demographic and environmental factors associated with development of febrile, presumed viral illness in infants < or = 10 weeks old.


METHODS
The study was conducted in a large, urban pediatric hospital and outpatient clinics. Infants < or = 10 weeks old admitted to the hospital for a febrile illness but discharged with a presumed viral illness as the cause of the fever (n = 106) were compared with afebrile infants who came for clinic appointments (n = 87). Thirty-three infants found to have a bacterial source of illness were dropped from analysis.


RESULTS
Recent exposure to an acute respiratory illness in the home (p < 0.0001), a previous visit to the doctor that was unrelated to the hospitalization (p < 0.002), having a sibling in school or day care (p < 0.007), and exposure to two or more smokers in the home (p < 0.011) were associated with development of a presumed viral illness with fever.


CONCLUSIONS
Families with young infants should be counseled to keep their babies away from cigarette smoke or individuals with colds or presumed viral illnesses.
Komoroski
E M
EM
Arkansas Children's Hospital and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72202, USA.
Kirby
R S
RS
Rickert
V I
VI
Yamauchi
T
T
D005192:Family Health; D005334:Fever / Q000628:therapy; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases; D009819:Office Visits; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000635:transmission
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution