Effect of low birth weight on severe childhood diarrhea.

A hospital-based case-control study was conducted at Phanat Nikhom District Hospital, Chon Buri Province, Thailand to determine the association between low birth weight and severe diarrhea and its magnitude of association among children under two years of age. Data were analyzed from 52 severe diarrheal cases and 121 mild diarrheal children attending the hospital during October 1988 to December 1989. Information regarding birth weight was obtained from hospital record or health care of each subject. Information on variables which may confound the association between low birth weight and severe diarrhea were also collected by interviewing all subjects' mothers with structured questionnaires. It was found that the crude Odds Ratio between low birth weight and severe diarrhea was 4.62. However after controlling for confounding variables: age, concurrent infection, duration of diarrheal attack prior attending hospital and ORT usage, the adjusted Odds Ratio was 3.92. The present study confirms that low birth weight is an important determinant of severe diarrhea and feasible intervention in the case of low birth weight needs to be explored.