A Longitudinal study of Morbidity Among Under - Five Children In A Semi - Urban Area

Abstract

A longitudinal study of morbidity was carried out among 224 children under 5 years of age in a semi- urban area of Pondicherry. The findings revealed that a child had 4.85 episodes of illness annually on an average. Incidence rate for illness episodes and children affected was highest during the second quarter of the years i.e. April to June. Upper respiratory tract infections showed the highest recurrence (3.95) followed by doarrhoea (3.49). Respiratory illness and diarrhoea accounted for 64.9% of all morbidity.