Background The incidence of rotaviral gastroenteritis (RVGE) has significantly increased in last 10 years in Latvia.

Aims To assess the impact of family on RVGE.

Methods The study enrolled children (1–23 month of age) hospitalised in University Children’s Hospital within time period of June 2013 – February 2014 if the child has rotavirus positive stool sample. The clinical severity of illness was rated using a clinical scoring system. Parents were interviewed and clinical examination of the child was done.

Results Mean age of 91 enrolled patients was 12.54 (SD 5.74) months. 91.6% of children did not attend kindergarten. There is a tendency (although statistically insignificant, p > 0.05) for breastfed children to have shorter hospitalisation time as well as to have milder clinical severity degree (see Table below).

While 73.6% of parents had heard about rotaviral vaccination before, only 1 child was vaccinated against it. 65.9% of parents agreed that children should be vaccinated against rotavirus.

Conclusions There should be higher access to information about RVGE and vaccination against it. Breastfeeding till age of 2 years may facilitate severity of RVGE.

Part of the study “Clinical peculiarities of rotaviral infection, molecular epidemiology and health associated life quality for hospitalised children and their family members”, financially supported by Riga Stradins University.