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Incidence and prevalence of non-specific symptoms and behavioural changes in infants under the age of two years
1Salisbury District Hospital.
Insights
Minor illnesses are common in infants, with most managed at home. This study tracked infant health, providing a baseline for understanding serious conditions and sudden unexplained infant death risks.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infant Health
- Morbidity Studies
Background:
- Previously uninvestigated incidence and prevalence of non-specific symptoms in healthy infants.
- Exploration of symptom relationships to sudden unexplained infant death risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- Assess unreported minor morbidity in infants under two years.
- Determine incidence, prevalence, and duration of infant symptoms and behavioral changes.
Main Methods:
- Daily diary cards completed by mothers for 323 infants over two years.
- Analysis of symptom data, behavioral changes, and healthcare consultations.
Main Results:
- Non-specific symptoms and behavioral changes are common, especially upper respiratory symptoms.
- Symptom episodes varied in duration; most infant health issues managed without consultation.
- Parents delayed consultations for 'normal' conditions but sought care sooner for fever and behavioral changes.
Conclusions:
- Established prevalence of infant symptoms provides context for serious illness indicators.
- Findings inform discussions on using symptoms to assess risks for sudden unexplained infant death.
Background:
The incidence and prevalence of non-specific symptoms in a group of normally healthy infants have not previously been investigated. The relationship of such symptoms to the risk of sudden unexplained infant death has been explored.
Aim:
This study set out to assess the usually unreported minor morbidity occurring in infants under the age of two years in a defined community.
Method:
Diary cards were completed by mothers for 323 infants on a daily basis for up to two years from birth. Analysis of the diary card data allowed the incidence and prevalence of behavioural changes and non-specific symptoms to be determined, together with the duration of the episodes of symptoms and the frequency and timing of consultations with health visitors and doctors.
Results:
Non-specific symptoms and behavioural changes occurred commonly in this age group. Upper respiratory symptoms were especially prevalent. Episodes of symptoms relating to particular body systems tended to be of longer duration while behavioural changes tended to be of shorter duration. Parents managed 67% to 99% of infants' health problems without requiring a consultation. Parents often delayed four or five days before consulting their doctor for symptoms in conditions which could be judged to be 'normal' for the child such as some respiratory conditions, but behavioural changes and fever led to consultations on the second day on average.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of the symptoms reported here should provide the setting for any discussion of their use as indicators of serious illness in infancy or the risk of sudden unexplained infant death.