Neumonía en lactantes en control periódico de salud / Pneumonia in infants in health periodical control

ABSTRACT

Four hundred thirty seven helathy newborns were followed in a public out patient clinic of Northern Santiago until two years of age. Pneumonia was diagnoses using clinical or rdiological criteria. The mothers of each child were interviewedin each follow up visit. Two hundred ten episodes of pneumonia were detected during the study, 0.6 episodes per child and 1.8 episodes of pneumonia were detected during the study, 0.6 episodes per child and 1.8 episodes per affected child. Sixty six percent of episodes occured during the first year of age. Total prevalence was 22.4 and 14.4 percent during the first and second year of age respectively. Semi annual incidence was 13.8 and 5.5 percent during the first and fourth semester respectively. Children that had pneumonia, were male in a higher proportion, had a lower birth weight, had a higher number of brothers, mothers with less than 8 years of school courses and a lower socioeconomic level. During the first year of life, breast feeding during less than 4 months and a birth date during spring and summer were associated with a higher incidence of pneumonia. Seventy seven episodes, that occured in 48 children, required hospitalization. The hospitalization rate for the hole cohort was 13.4 percent and 41.2 percent for affected children. Mean hospital stay was 5.8 days. Risk factors for hospitalization were male sex, less than 4 months of breast feeding, low birth weight, to have brothers, a lower mother education and lower socioeconomic level. Two children died. One out of three healthy newborns had pneumonia during the first year of life and a low socioeconomic level was an important risk factor