Seasonal and regional distribution of laryngomalacia in paediatric in-patients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Otolaryngology
• Environmental Health
• Public Health Epidemiology

Background:

• Laryngomalacia is a common congenital condition causing upper airway obstruction in infants.
• Seasonal and geographic variations in pediatric health outcomes are increasingly recognized.
• Vitamin D deficiency, influenced by sunlight exposure, is a potential environmental factor in various pediatric conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the seasonal and regional distribution of pediatric laryngomalacia admissions in the United States.
• To explore the hypothesis that colder regions and winter months are associated with higher laryngomalacia admission rates.
• To identify potential environmental influences, such as vitamin D synthesis, on laryngomalacia prevalence.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the 2016 Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) for children under three years old.
• Identification of laryngomalacia cases using ICD-10 code Q31.5.
• Assessment of seasonal and regional admission rate differences using Pearson's chi-squared test (p < 0.05).

Main Results:

• Laryngomalacia accounted for 11,638 admissions out of 4,512,196 estimated national admissions.
• Admissions showed a 10.0% increase in winter and a 10.9% decrease in summer (p < 0.005).
• Higher admission rates were observed in the Midwest/Central (18.6%) and Northeast (9.3%), with lower rates in the South (7.4%) and West (11.1%) (p < 0.005).

Conclusions:

• Pediatric laryngomalacia admissions are significantly influenced by seasonal patterns and geographic location.
• Environmental factors, potentially related to vitamin D synthesis influenced by sunlight exposure, likely play a role.
• Findings highlight the importance of considering environmental determinants in the epidemiology of laryngomalacia.