Although anyone can acquire C. diff - including children -  the following are associated with increased risk:

1. Taking or have recently taken antibiotics. The risk goes up if you take broad-spectrum drugs that target a wide range of bacteria.
2. Being 65 years of age or older.
3. Have recently been hospitalized, especially for an extended period.
4. Live in a nursing home or long term care facility.
5. Have a serious underlying illness or a weakened immune system as a result of a medical condition or treatment (such as chemotherapy).
6. Have had abdominal surgery or a gastrointestinal procedure.
7. Have a colon disease such as inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer.
8. Have had a previous C. diff infection.

Recent and Increasing Risk Factors

• Acquiring C. diff when hospitalized increases a patient's risk of death three-fold. According to a study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, "hospital-acquired CDI was independently associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death. "Across all baseline risk strata, for every 10 patients acquiring the infection, 1 person died."
• While not considered a high risk group, C. diff infections in hospitalized children increased 15% annually from 1997 to 2006; from 3,565 to 7,779.
• Increasing evidence suggests that post-partum woman may be at a higher risk of contracting C. diff.

Sources: Mayo Clinic, Archives of Internal Medicine, Los Angeles Times.