Risk factors for severe pneumonia in children in south Kerala: a hospital-based case-control study.

A case-control study was undertaken in 400 children under 5 years of age in South Kerala, India, to identify the risk factors for severe pneumonia. Cases were in-patients with severe pneumonia as ascertained by WHO criteria, while controls were out-patients with non-severe acute respiratory infections. Only four from many probable risk factors emerged as being significant, viz.