Virological studies were done in a group of 112 infants under one year of age hospitalized with acute lower respiratory infections and in 41 healthy controls of the same age. Samples of nasopharyngeal aspirates were taken in both groups. Smears for immunofluorescencc of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), parainfluenza type 3 virus, adenovirus and direct viral isolation technics were performed. Matched samples for serology were also done in 38 cases. Virological studies were positive in 72.3 percent of patients; in 82.7 percent of them RSV was demostrated while in 16.0 percent there were viral associations. The Virological studies in the control group were positive in 36.6 percent of cases for RSV and cytomegalovirus. This results confirms the role of RSV in the etiology of bronchopneumonia in infants under one year of age. (Key woids: respiratory tract infections, pneumonia viral, respiratory syncytial virus, para influenza type 3 virus, adeno viruses).

The clinical records of fourteen children discharged with the diagnosis of tuberculous (TB) meningitis from a metropolitan hospital at Santiago, Chile, were reviewed: Nine patients (64%) were under 5 years, but all were older than 12 month of age, eight (57%) had positive history of exposure to TB, even though this information was not always easy to obtain and five (36%) had BCG scars. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid of 5 patients (36%). Other four patients had miliary spread of the disease associated to the meningeal infection. The most frecuent laboratory finding was low chloride concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Secuelae occurred in 11 patients (79%), consisting in hidrocephalus in 7. A clear correlation was observed between secuelae and the amount of time elapsed from admission to the begining of the specific antibacterial therapy. BCG scar does not exclude the diagnosis of TB meningitis. In patients presenting with meningoencephalic symptoms, motor involvement, cranial nerve palsies and low CSF chloride levels the diagnosis of TB meningitis must be considered. (

ResumenObjetivo: describir la evolucion. anrropometrica desde el nacimiento hasta la edad corregida de 40 semanas en recien nacidos de muy bajo peso de nacimienlo, egresados vivos, nacidos en el aho 1 995 en cinco maternidades del sector publico de salud en 5an;iago. Paclentes y metodo: se incluyen 250 recien "acidos, 51,2% varones, de edad geslacional (promedio) 29,8 (nargenes 23 a 39] semanas, que pesaron 1 202 (570 a 1 449) g al nacer, 41,6% de los cuales eran pequefios para la edad gestacional. En 68,8% de ellos se empleo alimentacion parenteral, por 1 1,9 ± 8,3 dias. El cporle enteral exclusive se alcanzo en promedio a Ic edad de 16 dias. Resultados: el oeso bajo en todos los ninos duran'e la pr'mera semana. Este descenso fue mayor cuanlo menor ere \a edac gesracioial.