Hospitalized infant morbidity in the Prospective Cohort Study of Thai Children Project.
BACKGROUND
Infant morbidity causes a substantial resource burden, however, its magnitude and pattern in developing countries is still unknown.


METHODS
The authors prospectively followed a cohort of 2,739 children over a one-year period in three rural areas of Thailand to detect the hospitalized infant morbidity.


RESULTS
The incidence of morbidity was 454.9/1,000 live births. The top five morbidities were perinatal conditions, respiratory diseases, pneumonia, infectious diarrhea, and disorders related to short gestation/ low birth weight, and had an incidence of 88.7, 35.4, 34.3, 30.3, and 23.0 diagnoses/1,000 live births, respectively. They accounted for 1,973 days (76.6%) of hospital stay Of all morbidities, 34.8% occurred in the early neonatal period and 3.1% occurred in the late neonatal period.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study confirmed that perinatal conditions in the early neonatal period and pneumonia and diarrhea in the post neonatal period are still an important health problem. Further attempts for prevention and control will be needed.
Sornsrivichai
Vorasith
V
Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Hat Yai, Thailand. vorasith@msn.com
Chongsuvivatwong
Virasakdi
V
Mo-suwan
Ladda
L
Intusoma
Utcharee
U
D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology