Contamination of weaning foods and transmission of E. coli in causation of infantile diarrhea in low income group in Chandigarh.

Samples of weaning foods and other sources of contamination, such as water, mother's nails, utensils and swab samples of feeding bottle nipple, mother's teats and child's hands were collected from a total of 100 houses of Low Income Group (LIG) in Chandigarh. A high incidence of E. coli isolation (72.3%) was noticed amongst the collected samples. Seventy nine per cent of storage containers of water exhibited the presence of E. coli. Eighty per cent of the children had diarrhea even when exclusively breastfed. Sixty six per cent children were weaned within 3-6 months; the ratio increasing with increase in the educational qualification of the mother. Eighty out of the total 100 households which had a history of infantile diarrhea exhibited 80.9% E. coli isolation.