CLINICO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ACUTE DIARRHEA IN UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN ADMITTED TO A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN
Main Article Content
Keywords
Acute diarrhea, under-five children, epidemiology, dehydration, maternal literacy, socioeconomic status, rotavirus
Abstract
Acute diarrhea remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children under five years globally, particularly in developing countries. This study investigates the clinico-epidemiological profile of acute diarrhea in under-five children admitted to Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Hospital, Jaipur. A total of 150 cases were included between March 2023 and February 2025. Socio-demographic variables, clinical features, risk factors, and outcomes were assessed. Results demonstrated higher incidence among infants, male predominance, significant association with lower socioeconomic status, and poor maternal literacy. Dehydration was the most common clinical feature, with exclusive breastfeeding showing a protective effect. The study emphasizes the importance of health education, improved sanitation, maternal literacy, and preventive interventions like rotavirus vaccination to reduce diarrhea-related morbidity and mortality.
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2. NFHS-5: National Family Health Survey 2019–21, India.
3. GBD Diarrhoeal Diseases Collaborators. Lancet. 2021.
4. UN-IGME-child-mortality-report-2019.pdf [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jan 6]. Available from: https://www.unicef.org/media/60561/file/UN-IGME-child-mortality-report-2019.pdf
5. Tripathi S, Pathak VK, Lahariya C. Key findings from NFHS-5 India report: Observing trends of health indicators between NFHS-4 and NFHS-5. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care. 2023 Sep 30;12(9):1759.
6. Mengistie B, Y. B, A W. Prevalence of diarrhea and associated risk factors among children under-five years of age in Eastern Ethiopia: a crosssectional study. Open J Prev Med. 2013;3(7):446–53.
7. Gedamu G, A. K, D H. Magnitude and associated factors of diarrhea among under five children in farta Wereda, north west Ethiopia. Qual Prim Care. 2017;24(4):199–207.
8. Bado AR, A.S. S, E.I N. Trends and risk factors for childhood diarrhea in sub-Saharan countries (19902013): assessing the neighborhood inequalities. Glob Health Action. 2016;
9. Dagnew AB, Y.M. TT, T. E, W. K, K. Z, M. U, et al. Prevalence of diarrhea and associated factors among under-five children in Bahir Dar city, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study. BMC Infect Dis. 2019;471(19).
10. Agegnehu MD, L.B. Z, Y.A. G, Y.L O. Diarrhea prevention practice and associated factors among caregivers of under-five children in Enemay district, Northwest Ethiopia. Environ Public Health. 2019;
11. Atnafu A, M.M. S, G.D. D, Z.T T. Geographical disparities and determinants of childhood diarrheal illness in Ethiopia: further analysis of 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. Trop Med Health. 2020;48(64).
12. Nasir WA, Y.M. S, S. J, T. K, E. Y, N H. Determinants of diarrhea in children under the age of five in Afghanistan: a secondary analysis of the Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey 2015. J Med Sci. 2020;82:545–56.
13. Escobar AL, C.E.C.J.J.R. W, B.L. H, R.V. S, A.M C. Diarrhea and health inequity among indigenous children in Brazil: results from the first national survey of indigenous people’s health and nutrition. BMC Publ Health. 2015;15(91).
14. Sharma J, Chaudhary S, Bajaj M, Nair NP, Thiyagarajan V.Rotavirus gastroenteritis hospitalizations among under-5 children inNorthern India. Indian J Pediatr 2021;88:28-34 (PDF) Study of Clinical, Hematological, and Biochemical Profile of Under Five Hospitalized Children with Diarrhea from a Tertiary Care Institute in Himachal Pradesh. Available from: https://www. researchgate.net/ publication/368675459_Study_of_clinical_hematological_and_biochemical_profile_of_under_five_hospitalized_children_with_diarrhea_from_a_tertiary_care_institute_in_Himachal_Pradesh [accessed May 01 2025].
15. Jarman AF, Long SE, Robertson SE, Nasrin S, Alam NH,McGregor AJ, et al. Sex and gender differences in acute pediatricdiarrhea: A secondary analysis of the DHAKA study. J EpidemiolGlob Health 2018;8:42-7. (PDF) Study of Clinical, Hematological, and Biochemical Profile of Under Five Hospitalized Children with Diarrhea from a Tertiary Care Institute in Himachal Pradesh. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication /368675459_Study_of_clinical_hematological_and_biochemical_profile_of_under_five_hospitalized_children_with_diarrhea_from_a_tertiary_care_institute_in_Himachal_Pradesh [accessed May 01 2025].
16. Sangrulkar TV. A Clinico-Epidemiological Study of Acute Diarrhea in Under Five Children Admitted in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Western Maharashtra. jmscr [Internet]. 2018 Mar 18 [cited 2025 Jan 11];6(3). Available from: http://jmscr.igmpublication.org/v6-i3/82%20jmscr.pdf
17. Bajaj M, Gandhi MK, Kumar P, Gowda C, Mahajan S. Study of Clinical, Hematological, and Biochemical Profile of Under Five Hospitalized Children with Diarrhea from a Tertiary Care Institute in Himachal Pradesh. Amrita Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2022c Oct 1;18(4):129–35. Available from: https://doi.org/10.4103/amjm.amjm_42_22
18. Nyati P, Choudhary P, Thora S. Clinico-epidemiological profile of acute watery diarrhea in under five children with special reference to rotavirus infection. Journal of Evolution of Medical and Dental Sciences. 2019 Apr 8;8(14):1141–4.
19. Mitkari KK, Mankeshwar R, Haralkar S. A Study on Hospitalized Under Five Children Presenting with Acute Diarrhea [Internet]. Vol. 10, National Journal of Community Medicine. 2019b Oct p. 556. Available from: https://www.njcmindia.org
20. Shubhada S Avachat, Vaishali D Phalke, Deepak B Phalke, Syed M M Aarif, Piyush Kalakoti, A cross-sectional study of socio-demographic determinants of recurrent diarrhea among children under five of rural area of Western Maharashtra, India, Australasian Medical Journal AMJ 2011, 4, 2, 72-75
21. Hartman RM, Cohen AL, Antoni S, Mwenda J, Weldegebriel G, Biey J, et al. Risk Factors for Mortality Among Children Younger Than Age 5 Years With Severe
22. Diarrhea in Low- and Middle-income Countries: Findings From the World Health Organization-coordinated Global Rotavirus and Pediatric Diarrhea Surveillance Networks. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Jul 7;76(3):e1047–53.
23. Ghosh K, Chakraborty AS, SenGupta S. Identifying spatial clustering of diarrhea among children under 5 years across 707 districts in India: a cross sectional study. BMC Pediatr. 2023 May 30;23:272
24. Bhatnagar S, Srivastva G. Clinical profile of children (0-5 years) with rota virus diarrhea. International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics. 2017 Apr 25;4(3):947–50
25. UNICEF. Pneumonia and diarrhea: Tackling the deadliest diseases for the world’s poorest children. 2019.
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Published
Sep 18, 2025
Article Details
How to Cite
Dr Nishtha Gupta, Dr Rupesh Masand, & Dr Gaurav Agrawal. (2025). CLINICO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ACUTE DIARRHEA IN UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN ADMITTED TO A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(8), 645-650. https://doi.org/10.53555/72q08r21
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Author Biographies
Dr Nishtha Gupta
PG Resident, Department of Paediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur
Dr Rupesh Masand
Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur
Dr Gaurav Agrawal
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur
How to Cite
Dr Nishtha Gupta, Dr Rupesh Masand, & Dr Gaurav Agrawal. (2025). CLINICO-EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF ACUTE DIARRHEA IN UNDER-FIVE CHILDREN ADMITTED TO A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 32(8), 645-650. https://doi.org/10.53555/72q08r21