Relationship of Pre-Existing Maternal/Caregiver Acute Respiratory Infection in the Pattern and Risk of Acute Respiratory Infection among Infants in Rivers State, Nigeria

History of upper respiratory tract infection in the mother or siblings was associated with higher risk of acute lower respiratory tract infection in cases. Most upper respiratory tract infections were caused by viral pathogens and likely to occur in many members of the family. The study aimed to determine the existence and pattern of relationship between risk of acute respiratory infection (ARI) among infants and exposure to pre-existing maternal/caregiver acute respiratory tract infection. The study was designed as a community-based Nested case-control study of 1100 infants randomly selected from 12 communities out of 6 Local Government Areas of the 3 senatorial districts of Rivers State. A multistage random sampling technique was used in selecting the subjects up to the community level. Descriptive method was used to represent the characteristics of the subjects and the differences in ARI between exposed and unexposed infants were tested in a bivariate logistics regression at 5% level of significance. Odds ratio (OR) was used to interpret the size effect measures of ARI on exposure to pre-existing maternal/caregiver ARI differences. A total of 275 Cases of ARI and 825 controls were included in the study. Among exposed infants (N = 104), ARI cases were found to be higher n = 80 (76.9%) than in control n = 24 (23.1%). Whereas, among unexposed infants N = 991, ARI cases were found to be lower n = 195 (19.7%) than in control n = 796 (80.3%). For the exposed infants, the odds for ARI were 13.5 times significantly higher compared to those of their unexposed counterparts (OR-Unadjusted = 13.52, (p < 0.0001, 95% CI = 0.047 - 0.121)). The findings will widen the horizon in the etiological consideration of ARI among infants vis-à-vis exposure potential to pre-existing maternal/caregiver ARI via nursing care. Therefore, community-based sensitization programme on barrier nursing care techniques and personal hygiene practices should be on focus.