Burden of childhood diseases and malnutrition in a semi-urban slum in southern India.
BACKGROUND
India has seen rapid unorganized urbanization in the past few decades. However, the burden of childhood diseases and malnutrition in such populations is difficult to quantify. The morbidity experience of children living in semi-urban slums of a southern Indian city is described.


METHODS
A total of 176 children were recruited pre-weaning from four geographically adjacent, semi-urban slums located in the western outskirts of Vellore, Tamil Nadu for a study on water safety and enteric infections and received either bottled or municipal drinking water based on their area of residence. Children were visited weekly at home and had anthropometry measured monthly until their second birthday.


RESULTS
A total of 3932 episodes of illness were recorded during the follow-up period, resulting in an incidence of 12.5 illnesses/child-year, with more illness during infancy than in the second year of life. Respiratory, mostly upper respiratory infections, and gastrointestinal illnesses were most common. Approximately one-third of children were stunted at two years of age, and two-thirds had at least one episode of growth failure during the two years of follow up. No differences in morbidity were seen between children who received bottled and municipal water.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study found a high burden of childhood diseases and malnutrition among urban slum dwellers in southern India. Frequent illnesses may adversely impact children's health and development, besides placing an additional burden on families who need to seek healthcare and find resources to manage illness.
Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu 632004, India.
Rajiv
R
Sarkar
Prabhu
P
Sivarathinaswamy
Bhuvaneshwari
B
Thangaraj
Kulandaipalayam Natarajan Chella
KN
Sindhu
Sitara Swarna Rao
SS
Ajjampur
Jayaprakash
J
Muliyil
Vinohar
V
Balraj
Elena N
EN
Naumova
Honorine
H
Ward
Gagandeep
G
Kang
D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D011204:Poverty Areas; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data