Acute respiratory infection in children

Abstract

Only recently, it has been realised that Acute
\nRespiratory infection (ARI) is a major cause of death
\nin children. Out of nearly 15 million children under
\nfive, dying each year, four million die of ARI, and two
\nthirds of these are infants, and more than 90% of all
\nthese deaths occur in developing countries1. In
\nIndia2, 15-20% mortality in infants and children are
\ndue to ARI. During first five years of life, on an
\naverage, a child in urban area and in rural area may
\nsuffer from 5-8 episodes3 and 1-3 episodes4 of ARI
\nper year respectively. The higher incidence of
\nepisodes in urban area may be due to over-crowding
\nand urban air pollution.