[Effect of air pollution on respiratory tract diseases in small children. Morbidity rate in residential areas with varying degrees of severe pollution].

In a retrospective study of hospitalised patients (children aged between 0 and 4 years) covering four years the dependence of the incidence of croup (infectious laryngitis) and obstructive bronchitis on air pollution was investigated. For this reason the incidence of morbidity in residential areas with various levels of SO2 and sedimenting dust were compared. The results show a definitive connection between a high level of SO2 and dust, respectively and a high rate of morbidity. This connection was particularly marked in areas with simultaneous high levels of both SO2 and dust. The effects of confounding factors, such as infection incidence, meteorological influences, distances from hospital, social status, especially the percentage of foreign guest worker families and population density were investigated and separated from air pollution effects.