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Published on: August 7, 2017

Risk factors for bronchiolitis-associated deaths among infants in the United States

Robert C Holman1, David K Shay, Aaron T Curns

  • 1Respiratory and Enteric Viruses Branch, Division of Viral and Ricksettial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Center for Disease Control and Prevention/DHHS, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|June 12, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Infants born with very low birth weight (VLBW) and low birth weight (LBW) have higher risks of bronchiolitis death. However, most infant deaths from bronchiolitis occur in normal birth weight infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Bronchiolitis is a common respiratory infection in infants.
  • National data on risk factors for infant deaths due to bronchiolitis are limited.
  • Understanding these risk factors is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the epidemiology of bronchiolitis-associated infant deaths in the United States.
  • To identify specific risk factors contributing to infant mortality from bronchiolitis.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized multiple cause-of-death and linked birth/infant death data from 1996-1998.
  • Conducted a case-control study comparing infants who died from bronchiolitis with surviving infants.

Main Results:

  • There were 229 infant deaths attributed to bronchiolitis between 1996-1998.
  • Infants with very low birth weight (<1500g) had the highest mortality rate (29.8/100,000 live births).
  • Other identified risk factors included higher birth order, low Apgar scores, young maternal age, unmarried mothers, and maternal tobacco use.

Conclusions:

  • Very low birth weight and low birth weight infants face elevated risks of mortality from bronchiolitis, independent of other factors.
  • Despite the increased risk for LBW infants, the majority of bronchiolitis-related infant deaths occur in infants with normal birth weight.
Abstract

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