Infectious morbidity and resource use in children under 2 years old at childcare centres

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Childcare centers are common for early childhood development.
• Understanding the health implications of childcare attendance is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the associations between childcare center attendance and infectious morbidity.
• To investigate the relationship between childcare and resource consumption (medications, medical visits).

Main Methods:

• A birth cohort study followed children from birth to 2 years of age.
• Data collected included infection types, drug consumption, and medical visits.
• Children were categorized based on attendance at a childcare center.

Main Results:

• Children in childcare had higher rates of recurrent infections and wheezing across all age groups.
• A significant association was found for recurrent acute otitis media in 12-18 month olds attending childcare (OR 6.04).
• Increased consumption of antibiotics, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and montelukast was observed in children over 6 months attending childcare.

Conclusions:

• Childcare attendance is associated with increased recurrent infections and wheezing.
• There is a higher frequency of medication use for respiratory and infectious conditions in children attending childcare.
• These findings underscore the need for strategies to mitigate health risks associated with childcare settings.