Table 3. Characteristics of infants 0–11 months born and admitted to hospital during and before the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh, March 2019–February 2021.
| Characteristic | No. (%)a |
P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All (n = 5662) | COVID-19 period (n = 1195) | Pre-COVID-19 period (n = 4467) | ||
| Age in months, mean (SD) | 6.29 (2.94) | 5.59 (2.80) | 6.48 (2.95) | < 0.001 |
| Sex, female | 2103/5662 (37.14) | 457/1195 (38.24) | 1646/4467 (36.85) | 0.375 |
| Delivery by caesarean section | 1756/3669 (47.86) | 450/895 (50.28) | 1306/2774 (47.08) | 0.096 |
| Immunization as per EPI schedule | 3475/4012 (86.62) | 786/923 (85.16) | 2689/3089 (87.05) | 0.138 |
| Exclusive or partial breastfeeding on admission | 2920/4509 (64.76) | 674/1008 (66.87) | 2246/3501 (64.15) | 0.112 |
| Stuntingb | 2323/4518 (51.42) | 575/1 044 (55.08) | 1748/3474 (50.32) | 0.007 |
| Wastingc | 1522/3 694 (41.20) | 400/891 (44.89) | 1122/2803 (40.03) | 0.010 |
| Severe acute malnutritiond | 1642/4548 (36.10) | 366/1041 (35.16) | 1276/3507 (36.38) | 0.470 |
| Acute diarrhoea (watery and/or invasive) | 5460/5662 (96.43) | 1159/1195 (96.99) | 4301/4467 (96.28) | 0.244 |
| Some or severe dehydration | 3033/5600 (54.16) | 740/1191 (62.13) | 2293/4409 (52.01) | < 0.001 |
| History of fever | 1254/5662 (22.15) | 267/1195 (22.34) | 987/4467 (22.10) | 0.855 |
| Convulsions (during and/or after admission) | 219/5662 (3.87) | 70/1195 (5.86) | 149/4467 (3.34) | < 0.001 |
| Pneumonia | 1097/5662 (19.37) | 225/1195 (18.83) | 872/4467 (19.52) | 0.591 |
| Severe pneumonia | 683/5662 (12.06) | 126/1195 (10.54) | 557/4467 (12.47) | 0.070 |
| Sepsis | 348/5662 (6.15) | 134/1195 (11.21) | 214/4467 (4.79) | < 0.001 |
| Severe sepsis or septic shock | 110/5662 (1.94) | 32/1195 (2.68) | 78/4467 (1.75) | 0.038 |
| Hospital-acquired infection | 129/5662 (2.28) | 22/1195 (1.84) | 107/4467 (2.40) | 0.254 |
| Death | 82/5662 (1.45) | 20/1195 (1.67) | 62/4467 (1.39) | 0.463 |
| Hypernatraemiae | 294/1 419 (20.72) | 110/447 (24.61) | 184/ 972 (18.93) | 0.014 |
| Hyponatraemiaf | 499/1 419 (35.17) | 116/447 (25.95) | 383/972 (39.40) | < 0.001 |
| Hyperkalaemiag | 175/1419 (12.33) | 56/ 447 (12.53) | 119/972 (12.24) | 0.879 |
| Hypokalaemiah | 349/1 419 (24.59) | 102/447 (22.82) | 247/972 (25.41) | 0.292 |
| Raised creatininei | 405/977 (41.45) | 128/258 (49.61) | 277/719 (38.53) | 0.002 |
COVID-19: coronavirus disease 2019; SD: standard deviation; EPI: Expanded Programme on Immunization.
a All values are no. (%) unless otherwise stated.
b Length-for-age z-score < −2 SD
c Weight-for-length z-score < −2 SD
d Weight-for-length z-score < −3 SD or by the presence of bilateral pedal oedema, irrespective of anthropometric indicators.
e Serum sodium ≥ 150 mmol/L.
f Serum sodium < 135 mmol/L/.
g Serum potassium > 5.5 mmol/L.
h Serum potassium < 3.5 mmol/L.
i Serum creatinine > 35 μmol/L for < 12 months and > 65 μmol/L for 12–59 months.
Notes: The COVID-19 period was March 2020–February 2021 and the pre-COVID-19 period was March 2019–February 2020. As data were collected from hospital records, information was missing for some variables. We calculated percentage value on the basis of available records.