The Medical journal of Australia
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Comparative Study
Early childhood pneumonia in Aborigines of Bourke, New South Wales.
We carried out a retrospective survey of all children born in the district of Bourke , New South Wales, over a three-year period to determine the frequency of lobar pneumonia in the first three years of life. Although more non-Aboriginal children (167) than Aboriginal children (103) were born during this period, there was a striking difference between these groups in the frequency of pneumonia. Twenty-six (25.2%) Aboriginal children had one or more episodes of lobar pneumonia, compared with only five (3%) non-Aboriginal children born during the same period. ⋯ Of those with siblings, 39% of the affected infants had siblings who had suffered from pneumonia in early childhood. No perinatal factors which correlated with the subsequent development of lobar pneumonia could be identified. However, a greater proportion of the affected than of the non-affected children lived in substandard housing conditions.
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Ear, nose and throat diseases in children living in the Kimberley region of Western Australia have been systematically studied over the last 15 years. A "diagnostic triad" is described; this offers a comprehensive approach to the assessment of middle-ear disease. The aetiology of chronic ear disease in Aboriginal children has been investigated. Management problems of deafness are discussed.