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Contribution of respiratory tract infections to child deaths: a data linkage study

Pia Hardelid1, Nirupa Dattani, Mario Cortina-Borja

  • 1Population, Policy and Practice Programme, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK. p.hardelid@ucl.ac.uk.

BMC Public Health
|November 21, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) remain a significant cause of child mortality, with deaths not declining in older children. Targeted strategies are needed to prevent winter excess RTIs and manage infections in children with chronic conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Mortality
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a major contributor to child mortality and a factor in deaths among children with chronic conditions.
  • RTIs are often underreported as a primary cause of death, leading to an incomplete understanding of their impact and preventability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the contribution of RTIs to child deaths in England.
  • To analyze trends in RTI-related mortality and identify seasonal patterns.
  • To estimate the proportion of RTI-related deaths in children with pre-existing chronic conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of non-injury child deaths (28 days to 18 years) in England from 2001-2010, using linked death certificates and hospital admission data.
  • Definition of RTI-related deaths based on recorded RTIs or respiratory conditions within 30 days of death.
  • Examination of mortality trends by age, year, and season, with calculation of winter excess deaths and proportion in children with chronic conditions.

Main Results:

  • RTI-related deaths accounted for 22.4% of all child deaths studied.
  • A significant annual decline of 2.3% in RTI-related infant deaths was observed, but no decline in older children.
  • An average of 161 winter excess RTI-related deaths occurred annually, representing 32% of total RTI deaths. 89% of these children had chronic conditions, most commonly neurological.

Conclusions:

  • RTI-related child mortality has not decreased in the past decade, except among infants.
  • Preventing the winter surge of RTIs and improving treatment for children, especially those with chronic conditions, could reduce deaths.
  • Further research and targeted interventions are crucial for mitigating RTI-related child mortality.
Abstract

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