Acute and Chronic Diarrhea among Hospitalized infants aged (1-12) months

Abstract

The study aims to determine the relationship of acute and chronic diarrhea with some of child' characteristics as age, gender, feeding type as well as to find out the relationship between diarrhea ( acute and chronic) and Nutritional status of hospitalized infants aged (1-12) months in Al- Batool Teaching Hospital for Maternity and Children from 1st of November 2011 till the 1st March 2012. A total of 85 hospitalized infants aged (1-12) months presented with diarrhea. About(51.76%) of cases affected with acute diarrhea and (48.24%) of cases affected with chronic diarrhea. The present study showed that male children (55.06%) affected with acute and chronic diarrhea were more than that of female children with no significant difference. More than one half of the study sample (52.94%) affected with acute and chronic diarrhea were ranging between (1 - 6) months with no significant difference. The results of this study showed that half of the study sample affected with acute and chronic diarrhea were bottle fed infants with no significant difference. Finally the results of the study found that majority of cases affected with acute diarrhea were well- nourished infants as compared to those affected with chronic diarrhea were malnourished infants with a highly significant difference.