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Clinical and Epidemiological Features of Pediatric COVID-19: A Retrospective Study
Mohammadreza Mirkarimi1, Solmaz Heidari1, Ahmad Shamsizadeh1
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences Ahvaz Iran.
Insights
Pediatric COVID-19 patients with moderate to severe illness showed higher malnutrition, anemia, and vitamin D deficiency. These children also had elevated inflammatory markers and poorer health outcomes compared to mild cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Growing concern exists regarding the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on children.
- Limited data are available on the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of pediatric COVID-19 in Iran.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical and epidemiological features of pediatric COVID-19.
- To identify risk factors and outcomes associated with severe COVID-19 in children.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed medical records of 600 pediatric COVID-19 patients admitted to Abuzar Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran.
- Clinical data, demographic information, laboratory results, and nutritional status were recorded and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Over 50% of pediatric COVID-19 patients were male. Moderate to severe cases exhibited significantly higher levels of inflammatory markers (CRP, fibrinogen, d-dimer), liver enzymes (ALT, GGT), kidney function markers (BUN, Cr), and CPK.
- Patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 had lower lymphocyte and hemoglobin levels, and a higher prevalence of fever, dry cough, and prolonged hospital stays.
- Malnutrition (50.6%), anemia (31.5%), and vitamin D deficiency were prevalent, particularly in children with moderate to severe COVID-19, with underweight and stunted children being disproportionately affected.
Conclusions:
- Children with moderate to severe COVID-19 demonstrated a higher prevalence of malnutrition, anemia, vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency, elevated liver and kidney function tests, and increased inflammatory markers.
- These findings highlight the importance of nutritional status and micronutrient levels in pediatric COVID-19 severity and outcomes.
Background And Aims:
There is a demand for additional data regarding the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the pediatric population. This study sought to determine the clinical and epidemiological features of pediatric COVID-19 in Iran.
Methods:
A retrospective study was performed to assess medical records of children with COVID-19 admitted to Abuzar Hospital in Ahvaz (Iran). Their clinical and demographic data were recorded.
Results:
In this study, 600 medical records of pediatric COVID-19 patients were evaluated. Over 50% of them were boys. Mild, moderate, and severe manifestations of COVID-19 were identified in 250, 200, and 150 children, respectively. Patients with severe or moderate COVID-19 had substantially higher levels of various inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and d-dimer), alanine transaminase (ALT), creatine kinase (CPK), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), neutrophils, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine (Cr), bilirubin, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) compared to children with mild COVID-19 (p < 0.001); they also had lower levels of lymphocytes, hemoglobin (Hb), and vitamin D than patients with mild COVID-19 (p < 0.001). In addition, children with severe or moderate COVID-19 had a notably higher incidence of fever or dry cough and longer hospital stays than those with mild COVID-19 (p < 0.001). The prevalence of malnutrition and anemia in patients was 50.6% and 31.5%, respectively. A significant proportion of children who were underweight and stunted experienced moderate to severe COVID-19. Furthermore, there was a considerably higher prevalence of malnutrition, anemia, and vitamin D insufficiency, or deficiency in children with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 compared to patients with mild COVID-19 (p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The outcomes of this study revealed a significantly higher prevalence of malnutrition, anemia, vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency, elevated liver and kidney function test results, and increased inflammatory markers in children with moderate to severe COVID-19 compared to those with mild COVID-19.
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