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Acute respiratory tract infections in children. A three-year follow-up from birth
G Harsten1, K Prellner, J Heldrup
1Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Insights
Daycare centers increase respiratory tract infection (RTI) risk in young children. Children in daycare had more RTIs than those in home care until age 2.5, with peaks around the second year of life.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) represent a significant healthcare cost in young children.
- Understanding factors influencing RTI frequency is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency of acute RTIs in children during their first three years of life.
- To determine the relationship between RTI occurrence and various factors including daycare type, age, and season.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 113 children from birth to three years.
- RTIs were monitored quarterly, with specific attention to the influence of age and daycare setting.
- Statistical analysis examined associations between RTI frequency and factors like daycare type, age, sex, family size, living conditions, allergies, smoking, and season.
Main Results:
- RTI frequency increased from birth, peaking around the second year of life.
- Daycare type and season were significantly associated with RTI frequency, alongside age.
- Children in daycare centers had higher RTI rates compared to those in home or family daycare until approximately 2.5 years of age.
Conclusions:
- Daycare attendance is a significant risk factor for increased acute respiratory tract infections in children under 2.5 years.
- Age and season also play crucial roles in the incidence of pediatric RTIs.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering daycare settings in managing and preventing RTIs in early childhood.
Abstract:
Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in small children account for a considerable proportion of health care expenditure. In 113 children, followed for the first three years of life, we studied the frequency of acute RTI and its relationship to the factors: type of day-care, age, sex, family size, living conditions, allergic predisposition, family smoking habits, and season. To elucidate the influence of age, the frequency of acute RTI and its relationship to type of day-care was longitudinally studied on a quarterly basis. The frequency of acute RTI diagnosis increased gradually from birth culminating in a peak at the beginning of the second year. Besides age and season, type of day-care was the only factor studied to show any relationship with the frequency of acute RTI diagnosis. Up to the age of almost 2 1/2 years, children attending day-care centres accounted for more RTI diagnoses than did those in home care or family day-care, categories with comparable frequencies.