Caballero MT, et al. - Authors evaluated the risk factors and pathogens linked to fatal episodes in children under five years (U5) of age in the developing world. Community mortality due to ARI was underlined by the social vulnerabilities. For infants, home mortality rates due to RSV and influenza are high and similar to those reported for hospitalized children.

Methods

• Experts conducted a case-control study to define risk factors and viral pathogens in community death due to ARI in a low-income children U5 of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Results

• As per data, 278 families of children U5 (104 deaths,174 healthy controls) participated in the study.
• Findings suggested that 87.5% deaths occurred in infants <12 months.
• They estimated the death rate due to ARI at 5.02/1,000 live births in infants.
• For dying at home due to ARI, associations were observed for living in crowded homes (OR3.73,95%CI 1.41-9.88), having adolescent mothers (OR4.89,95%CI 1.37–17.38), no running water (OR4.39,95%CI 1.11–17.38), incomplete vaccinations (OR3.39,95%CI 1.20 - 9.62), neonatal intensive care admission (OR7.17,95%CI 2.21 - 23.27), and no visit to the ED (OR72.32,95%CI 4.82 - 1085.6).
• Researchers noted 0.26 to be the infant community death rate due to RSV and due to influenza it was 0.07/1000 live births.