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Children hospitalised with gastroenteritis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Hamida Saidian1, Rie Daugberg1,2, Lise Heilmann Jensen2,3
1Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Slagelse Hospital, Slagelse, Denmark.
Insights
Pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalizations decreased early in the COVID-19 pandemic but surged in 2021. Children admitted during the late pandemic were older, indicating a shift in affected demographics.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Pediatrics
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted childhood infectious disease patterns.
- Understanding changes in pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalizations is crucial for public health planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the incidence and characteristics of pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To compare pandemic-period data with pre-pandemic trends.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of patient files for children aged 1 month to 5 years admitted with gastroenteritis.
- Data collected from January-June, 2017-2021, in Denmark.
- Comparison of early pandemic (March-June 2020) and late pandemic (January-June 2021) periods with pre-pandemic months.
Main Results:
- Early pandemic (2020) saw a significant decline in gastroenteritis admission rates (0.5/1000 children/month) compared to pre-pandemic levels (1.6/1000).
- Late pandemic (2021) showed a resurgence, with admission rates increasing to 2.2/1000 children/month.
- Children hospitalized in the late pandemic were older than those in pre-pandemic cohorts.
Conclusions:
- A resurgence of pediatric gastroenteritis hospitalizations occurred in spring 2021.
- While admission rates increased, the severity of illness did not appear to worsen.
- The demographic profile of hospitalized children shifted towards older age groups during the late pandemic.
Aims:
The COVID-19 pandemic altered the pattern of many paediatric infections. We aimed to assess the incidence and characteristics of children hospitalised with gastroenteritis during the early and the late pandemic, relative to previous years.
Methods:
In a retrospective study, we collected data from patient files of children aged 1 month to 5 years, admitted with gastroenteritis to a paediatric department in Denmark during January-June, of 2017 to 2021, comparing incidence rates and clinical features in the early pandemic (March to June 2020), and late pandemic period (January to June 2021), to similar pre-pandemic months.
Results:
In the early pandemic, admission rates per 1000 children/month declined to 0.5 (95% CI: 0.3-0.6) from pre-pandemic rates of 1.6 (95% CI: 1.4-1.7) (p < 0.0001) and increased in the late pandemic to 2.2 (95% CI: 1.9-2.6) (p = 0.006). Children admitted in the late pandemic period were older than those admitted previously.
Conclusion:
A resurgence of gastroenteritis in children occurred in the spring of 2021, with higher hospital admission rates of children, who were older, but not more severely ill than previously.
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