Prevention, Management and Risk Factors for Diarrhoeal Disease in under-Fives in Cape Town.

This cohort of children with diarrhoeal disease complicated by severe dehydration was a particularly socially deprived group. The results demonstrating zero vertical transmission of HIV in this very socioeconomically deprived area of Cape Town are encouraging. In the HIV-exposed, uninfected group, children were younger and had a higher prevalence of malnutrition, which should be the subject of future research, especially given existing evidence for immunological differences in children exposed to HIV in utero. Locating children with severe diarrhoea post-discharge was challenging and further research is needed on the cost-effectiveness and outcomes of different follow-up approaches.