Urinary microalbumin excretion in early pregnancy and gestational age at delivery.

We conclude that cryptosporidiosis in infants in developing countries is not only a common cause of diarrhoea but a cause of excess mortality. Table II shows that in children with cryptosporidiosis in infancy4 3deaths ((36 x 26/442) + (54 x 19/463)) could be expected in children aged 1-23 months. However, 16 deaths were recorded. Eradication of cryptosporidiosis in infancy by prevention and treatment should therefore theoretically reduce the 64 deaths reported in children aged 1-23 months by about 18% (11-7/64), assuming that the other factors affecting mortality are equally distributed among the exposed and non-exposed groups. This assumption is supported by the multivariate analysis. Control of cryptosporidiosis should receive much more attention. Research is needed to improve the understanding of the natural course of the infection and the immunopathogenesis of the associated disease. Despite numerous attempts no consistently effective antiparasitic drug has been found and further research is urgently needed. Cryptosporidiosis can be prevented by measures such as improving domestic and personal hygiene, improving child feeding and lactation practices, and controlling zoonotic reservoirs and water supplies. We thank Queba Djana, Domingos Sanca, Mario Rui Lopes, Paulo Ubasse, Jean Gomes Si, Faustino Umbunque, and Aquinaldo Djana, for the field work, and Astrid Permin, Lene Brink, and Uffe Gansted for their contributions. In particular, we wish to acknowledge Anja Vollmer and Henning Andersen, who died before publication of this study. This work was supported by the Science and Technology for Development Programme of the European Commission (contract No TS2-0179); the University of Copenhagen, Denmark; the Danish Council for Development Research (grant Nos 104. Dan. 8/341 and 1114); the Danish Medical Research Council (grant Nos 12-6055 and 12-6967); and the Danchurchaid primary health care project in Guinea Bissau.