JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and Brogan & Partners are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Environmental Health Perspectives. We studied 642 infants to determine the incidence of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) and its relationship to indoor air pollution due to fuel used for cooking (wood or kerosene). In Kusumpur Pahari, there were 317 children (142 wood and 175 kerosene), including 64 controls and 78 cases of ALRI in the wood fuel group and 81 controls and 94 ALRI cases in the kerosene group (p>0.05). Out of 316 children in Kathputly Colony (174 wood-and 142 kerosene), there were 33 and 45 ALRI cases in the wood and kerosene groups, respectively (p<0.05). Controls were children without ALRI and were used as controls in different groups. The demographic data and risk factors, namely, nutritional and immunization status, were comparable in ALRI cases and controls in both study areas. Pneumonia was the most common ailment in all the groups. Bronchiolitis was reported in 22.5% of the wood group and 27.1% of the kerosene group in Kathputly Colony versus 13.7% in the wood group and 12.1% in the kerosene group in Kusumpur Colony. Only one case of croup was reported from Kusumpur Pahari among wood users. The duration of illness was longer in the Kusumpur Pahari due to poor compliance, feeding, and child rearing habits. In conclusion, a higher incidence of ALRI was reported in kerosene users in Kathputly Colony, a high pollution area; however, the reasons for the differences observed need further elucidation. Key words. acute respiratory tract infection, ALRI, ARI, fuel, incidence, indoor air quality, infants, kerosene, urban slums, wood. We would like to thank the European Commission for their generous grant for conducting this project. We would also like to acknowledge kind cooperation given by the women and children at Kusumpur Pahari and Kathputly Colony during the entire period of study. This conference will offer the latest exposure and health-related arsenic research from around the world. The sessions will include sources, geochemistry, mechanisms, dose-response, remediation, patient care, exposure (several countries will be represented), epidemiology (cancer and noncancer), bioavailability, metabolism, and other related subjects.
