The Effects of the February 6 Earthquake on the Pediatric Health and Diseases Service: A Dual-Center Experience

The Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes of February 6, 2023 severely disrupted healthcare services, with children-one of the most vulnerable groups-being at particular risk for trauma, infections, and interruptions in chronic disease management. This study evaluated the demographic and clinical characteristics of pediatric inpatients in 2 hospitals in Hatay (Defne State Hospital and Mustafa Kemal University Hospital) by comparing pre- and post-earthquake periods.

This retrospective cross-sectional study included pediatric patients admitted between December 2020-March 2022 (pre-earthquake) and December 2023-March 2024 (post-earthquake). Medical records were reviewed for demographic data, diagnoses, length of hospital stay, and discharge outcomes.

A total of 920 patients were included (313 pre-earthquake, 607 post-earthquake). After the earthquake, children admitted were younger (mean age 3.6 ± 4.3 years), had shorter hospital stays (2.6 ± 2.1 days), and were less often foreign nationals compared to the pre-earthquake cohort. Respiratory system infections were the leading diagnosis overall (61.7%), with a notable increase in the post-earthquake period (75.9%). Pediatric neurology and nephrology wards were entirely closed, while endocrinology admissions nearly disappeared. Most patients (90.1%) were discharged in good condition, and referral rates to higher-level centers remained low.

Respiratory infections emerged as the leading cause of pediatric hospitalizations after the earthquake. The rapid re-establishment of pediatric inpatient services allowed most cases to be treated locally, yet the closure of pediatric subspecialty wards underscores long-term challenges. Disaster preparedness must therefore encompass not only acute trauma care but also sustained management of pediatric infections and chronic diseases.