Chronic illness, crowded homes worsen RSV. (Breast-Feeding Somewhat Protective).(respiratory syncytial virus infection)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

Alaska Native children who had underlying medical conditions and those living in crowded homes were more likely to be hospitalized for a respiratory syncytial virus infection, although breast-feeding provided some measure of protection against the infection, reported Lisa Bulkow of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Anchorage and her colleagues.

The 3-year case-control study matched each of 204 children in the remote Yukon Kuskokwim Delta of Alaska who were hospitalized with the infection with one or more control subjects in the same region. This region has been identified as having the highest annual respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalization rate in the world: 156 per 1,000 infants less than 1 year old, compared with 1-20 per 1,000 infants less than 1 year old in other developed countries.

Children with existing serious medical problems that ...