Children with recurrent respiratory tract infections tend to belong to families with health problems.

Children (7-11 years of age) who had recurrent respiratory tract infections (RTI) treated with antibiotics as preschoolers (n = 41), and their families were compared with regard to medical and social factors to families with children of comparable age who had had no such infections as preschoolers, or only isolated episodes (controls; n = 29). All the children studied had attended day-care centres as preschoolers. The two groups of children did not differ with regard to socio-economic conditions or age at admission to day-care centres. There was a difference in the two groups with regard to signs noted at physical examination (p less than 0.05), eardrum changes being observed in 34% of the children with recurrent episodes of RTI as preschoolers and in none of the controls (p less than 0.001). Questionnaires answered by parents indicated diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, to be significantly more frequent in the families of the children with recurrent RTIs as preschoolers than in those of the controls (p less than 0.01). Parents of the controls were more often satisfied with their own health (p less than 0.05) and reported fewer symptoms of minor illness (p less than 0.05), as compared with parents of the children with recurrent RTIs as preschoolers. Thus, the results of the present study support the idea that children with recurrent bacterial RTIs as preschoolers tend to belong to families with health problems.     

Respiratory Tract Infections in Children with Recurrent Episodes as Preschoolers

ABSTRACT. The occurrence of respiratory tract infections (RTI) in 41 school-age children, who had recurrent RTIs treated with antibiotics as preschoolers, was followed prospectively for two years through diary reports by parents and medical consultations, and compared with that in 29 children of the same age and socio-economic background, who had few or no such infections as preschoolers. During the two-year follow-up, a greater number of episodes of RTI and a longer mean duration of such episodes were reported in the diaries concerning the children with recurrent bacterial RTIs as preschoolers compared with the controls ( p <0.01). The annual incidence of bacterial RTI from birth onwards decreased with age among the children with recurrent episodes as preschoolers, unlike in the control group, where the incidence remained consistently low, the difference in incidence being significant up to the age of eight years ( p <0.01). Acute otitis media was the predominant bacterial RTI in preschoolers, and acute tonsillitis in school-age children. There was a tendency toward a greater incidence of other types of disease and complication/sequelae of infections among the RTI-afflicted group than among the controls, both as preschoolers and as school children. Our findings suggest that certain children constitute a group with high morbidity, susceptible to RTIs and other illnesses over a rather long period of years.     

Respiratory tract infections in children with recurrent episodes as preschoolers.

The occurrence of respiratory tract infections (RTI) in 41 school-age children, who had recurrent RTIs treated with antibiotics as preschoolers, was followed prospectively for two years through diary reports by parents and medical consultations, and compared with that in 29 children of the same age and socio-economic background, who had few or no such infections as preschoolers. During the two-year follow-up, a greater number of episodes of RTI and a longer mean duration of such episodes were reported in the diaries concerning the children with recurrent bacterial RTIs as preschoolers compared with the controls (p less than 0.01). The annual incidence of bacterial RTI from birth onwards decreased with age among the children with recurrent episodes as preschoolers, unlike in the control group, where the incidence remained consistently low, the difference in incidence being significant up to the age of eight years (p less than 0.01). Acute otitis media was the predominant bacterial RTI in preschoolers, and acute tonsillitis in school-age children. There was a tendency toward a greater incidence of other types of disease and complications/sequelae of infections among the RTI-afflicted group than among the controls, both as preschoolers and as school children. Our findings suggest that certain children constitute a group with high morbidity, susceptible to RTIs and other illnesses over a rather long period of years.     

Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Children

ABSTRACT. Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in small children account for a considerable proportion of health care expenditure. In 113 children, followed for the first three years of life, we studied the frequency of acute RTI and its relationship to the factors: type of day-care, age, sex, family size, living conditions, allergic predisposition, family smoking habits, and season. To elucidate the influence of age, the frequency of acute RTI and its relationship to type of day-care was longitudinally studied on a quarterly basis. The frequency of acute RTI diagnosis increased gradually from birth culminating in a peak at the beginning of the second year. Besides age and season, type of day-care was the only factor studied to show any relationship with the frequency of acute RTI diagnosis. Up to the age of almost 2 1/2 years, children attending day-care centres accounted for more RTI diagnoses than did those in home care or family day-care, categories with comparable frequncies.     

Acute respiratory tract infections in children. A three-year follow-up from birth

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in small children account for a considerable proportion of health care expenditure. In 113 children, followed for the first three years of life, we studied the frequency of acute RTI and its relationship to the factors: type of day-care, age, sex, family size, living conditions, allergic predisposition, family smoking habits, and season. To elucidate the influence of age, the frequency of acute RTI and its relationship to type of day-care was longitudinally studied on a quarterly basis. The frequency of acute RTI diagnosis increased gradually from birth culminating in a peak at the beginning of the second year. Besides age and season, type of day-care was the only factor studied to show any relationship with the frequency of acute RTI diagnosis. Up to the age of almost 2 1/2 years, children attending day-care centres accounted for more RTI diagnoses than did those in home care or family day-care, categories with comparable frequencies.     

Quality of life in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome

AIM: To measure quality of life in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and their families. METHODS: A questionnaire exploring socioeconomic status, structure and function of networks and psychological well-being was completed by the families of all 18 patients older than 2 years (age range 2.7-10.6). The results were compared with those of 180 healthy Swedish children matched for age and sex. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups in any of the aspects of socioeconomic status. Study group parents had not more available time for their child (p < 0.05) and more separations/divorces (p < 0.01). The patients had lower self-esteem (p < 0.05), more psychosomatic symptoms (p < 0.01) [corrected] and lower peer acceptance (p < 0.01) than control children. CONCLUSION: With regard to psychological well-being, quality of life was significantly lower in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome than in healthy controls.     

Organisational factors associated with the repetition of infections among children in Parisian day-care setting]

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzes the organisational factors linked with episodes of infections in children attending child day-care setting in Paris. POPULATION AND METHODS: A sample of children who attended parisian municipal child day-care setting, stratified on the type and the size of the day-care setting, was achieved. This cohort was followed from September 2000 to June 2001. We compared the risk of repeated infections according to the type of day-care setting (family day-care or day-care centre), and for the day-care centre according to the size (< or =60 or >60 places) and the structure of groups (mixing age groups or not). The events studied were the occurrence of at least: 6 episodes of any infection, 2 otitis, 2 gastroenteritis, 2 conjunctivitis or 5 upper respiratory tract infections. RESULTS: Nine hundred and ninety-three children were included in this study. The 878 children attending a day-care centre had a significant higher risk of infections compare to children in family day-care (RR = 2.92[1.58-5.38]) except for gastroenteritis and conjunctivitis. This relationship between the type of day-care setting and the repeated infections was especially shown for children younger than 1 year. The mixing of ages only increased the risk of conjunctivitis (RR = 1.98[1.15-3.42]). No significant relationship between the size of the day care centre and the repetition of every studied infection was found. CONCLUSION: This study strengthens the orientation of the more vulnerable children towards the family day-care centers.     

Frequency of lower respiratory tract infections in relation to adaptive immunity in children with Down syndrome compared to their healthy siblings

Aim: Children with Down syndrome (DS) experience respiratory tract infections (RTIs) more frequently than healthy children. We investigated whether this is related to different immunological characteristics associated with DS. Methods: The study group consisted of 22 children with DS and 22 of their healthy, age‐range matched siblings. Data were collected on infections and hospitalizations because of lower RTIs. Immunoglobulin and IgG subclass levels in blood, as well as lymphocyte and T cell (subset) counts, were determined. Results: The children with DS had a significantly higher frequency of lower RTIs and related hospitalization than their siblings. We also found significantly reduced IgG2 levels as well as significantly lower counts of total lymphocytes, CD4⁺ T lymphocytes, CD4⁺ invariant natural killer (iNKT) cells and regulatory T cells in the DS group. Conclusion: In children with DS, reduced levels of IgG2, total lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, iNKT cells and regulatory T cells might contribute to their higher susceptibility to lower RTIs.     

Somatic factors at 8 years of age in children with recurrent use of antibiotics in early infancy

Aim: To examine the influence of recurrent therapy with antibiotics (RTA) in infancy on children's somatic factors at 8 y of age. Methods: Subject selection was based on stratified randomized cluster sampling. Altogether 1287 infants were potential participants in the follow-up study. Children with ≥6 courses of antibiotics (100 children) during their first 18 mo of life and children with no (62%) or ≤2 courses (38%) of antibiotics participated in a clinical examination in a case-control setting (100 matched controls) at the age of 8 y. Results: The children with RTA continued to have more infections and had had more courses of antibiotics compared to controls during the follow-up. There was no clinically significant difference in the somatic and dental status at the age of 8 between the two groups. The parents of the children with RTA reported significantly more often recurrent infections than the parents of the controls.

Conclusions: The children with recurrent therapy with antibiotics in early childhood also continue to be prescribed more antibiotics in later childhood when compared to those who received no or few antibiotics in infancy. However, recurrent infections and medications do not seem to have a marked effect on the somatic and dental status of these children at 8 y of age.     

MxA protein in infants and children with respiratory tract infection

MxA protein—a stable product of cells stimulated by type I interferons—was examined prospectively for its ability to discriminate between viral and bacterial respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in 182 infants and children. The nasopharyngeal secretions (NPSs) of all of them were tested for MxA using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the whole blood of 92. Seventy-three children undergoing elective surgery served as controls. These apparently healthy children had higher levels of serum MxA than adult controls. Using antigen detection and serology, a viral aetiology was diagnosed in 81/182 cases. The sensitivity and specificity of MxA ELISA were assessed at 92 and 76% for the blood test and at 40 and 91% for the NPS, respectively. The positive predictive value for a viral RTI was superior to a leucocyte count or C-reactive protein when determined only once.     

Airway reactivity in parents of infants and young children with recurrent wheeze: a case-control study.

Increased airway reactivity has been found in family members of school age children and adults with asthma. As the relation between recurrent wheeze in infancy and bronchial reactivity is not yet clear, it was decided to test bronchial reactivity to methacholine in both parents of 50 preschool age children with recurrent wheeze and in 200 population based controls matched for sex, age, smoking habits, and atopy. Wheezy children fulfilled the following criteria: first attack of wheezing before the age of 2 years, at least four wheezing episodes triggered by a respiratory infection, negative skin prick tests, and no symptoms related to allergy. Four parents and five controls did not undergo the methacholine challenge because their forced expiratory volume in one second was < 80% of the predicted value. Methacholine reactivity was not significantly different in parents and controls. In summary, an increased bronchial responsiveness was not found in parents of infants and young children with recurrent wheeze triggered by infection.     

Cytomegalovirus DNA among children attending two day-care centers in Tokyo

BACKGROUND: In the USA, a high prevalence rate of cytomegalovirus (CMV) excretion among children in day-care centres was reported. However, there is no research about the prevalence rate of CMV among children in day-care centres in Japan. METHODS: The CMV excretion was studied in 54 children's saliva samples, collected from two different day-care centres in Tokyo. As a control, the prevalence of CMV was studied among 61 healthy children who did not attend any day-care centers. The CMV DNA in saliva were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis with one pair of primers for the immediate early region. The sequence of CMV genomes were examined in CMV PCR positive samples. RESULTS: Of the 54 saliva samples, 20.6% (6/29) and 24% (6/25) were CMV PCR positive in children at A and B day-care centres, respectively. The overall positivity of CMV PCR in saliva was 22.2% (12/54). Of the 61 saliva samples as the control study, 6.5% (4/61) were CMV PCR positive. There was a difference in the positivity in each age group of day-care centres and normal control. Each sample of the same day-care center gave conclusive and identical sequence results. CONCLUSION: We suspected that in each day-care center that there was one prevailing viral strain. We suppose that CMV infections were acquired inside the day-care centres. This is a first report which described viral transmission in day-care centres in Japan.     

Subclinical Trace Element Deficiency in Children with Undue Susceptibility to Infections

ABSTRACT. Serum concentrations of iron, copper, zinc and magnesium and also serum transferrin and ceruloplasmin were investigated in 28 children aged 10 months to 10 years with undue susceptibility to infections. None of the children had any classical immune defect. Seven of them had had frequent upper respiratory tract infections, 16 had suffered from frequent infections of the middle ear and five from mainly lower respiratory tract infections. Thirteen healthy children aged 9 to 18 years residing in the same area served as controls. The children with undue susceptibility to infections had significantly lower mean serum iron ( p < 0.05) and zinc ( p < 0.001) levels than the healthy controls. The mean serum concentrations of copper and magnesium and of transferrin and ceruloplasmin did not differ between the patients and controls. Children with frequent middle ear infections seemed to account for most of the differences in the serum levels of iron and zinc. An inverse correlation was observed between duration of breast feeding and serum concentration of zinc, and between weight as well as height and serum magnesium. The reasons for these changes and the possible role of trace element deficiency as a factor predisposing to or perpetuating undue susceptibility to infections in children are discussed.     

Does it really take longer not to prescribe antibiotics for viral respiratory tract infections in children?

BACKGROUND: Although overuse of antibiotics in children has been well documented, few studies have evaluated if the visit time for viral infections varies when antibiotics are or are not prescribed. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between physician visit time and antibiotic prescribing for children with viral respiratory tract infection (RTI). METHODS: Data obtained from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) 1993-2003 were surveyed for children < or = 18 years who were seen by a primary care physician and given a primary diagnosis suggestive of viral RTI (cold, upper respiratory infection (URI), bronchiolitis, or brochitis). We excluded visits of children given a comorbid diagnosis justifying antibiotics or a prolonged visit time and those with implausible physician visit times (0 minutes or > 40 minutes). Using univariate and multivariate analysis, we compared self-reported physician visit time when antibiotics were and were not prescribed for viral RTIs. RESULTS: 2739 visits from the NAMCS database, representing 119,926 visits nationally, met study criteria. Antibiotics were prescribed at 46,949 (39%) visits-75% with a diagnosis of bronchitis, 54% with bronchiolitis, and 30% with cold or URI. After adjusting for factors related to physician visit time, there was no difference in visit duration when antibiotics were or were not prescribed (13.6 +/- 8.4 and 13.3 +/- 9.6 minutes, respectively, P = 0.24). CONCLUSION: While antibiotics prescribing for viral RTI in children occurred frequently, our findings do not support the contention that it takes longer 'not to prescribe' antibiotics for children with viral RTIs.     

Decreased absence due to infectious diseases in children at two day care centres over an eight-year interval

Causes of absence were recorded at two day care centres during a seven-month period in 1979/80 and a corresponding period in 1987/88, for 82 and 87 children, respectively. During the eight-year interval absence due to disease decreased from 8.2% to 5.7% of total day-care days. A decrease in epidemic diseases during the eight years was evident. There were no cases of morbilli, parotitis or rubella in 1987/88, following an immunisation programme for these diseases initiated in 1982. An out-break of varicellae occurred in 1979/80, as compared with only few cases in 1987/88. Respiratory tract infection was the most common type of illness both in 1979/80 and in 1987/88. The mean number of illness episodes of respiratory tract infections per child, aged 5-6, was significantly higher in the earlier than in the later period, whereas no corresponding difference was evident for the younger age groups. Although, in the meantime parent benefits for home care of sick children had become more generous, attendance at the two day care centres rose from 62% in 1979/80 to 79% in 1987/88 of total day-care days, suggesting a truly decreased morbidity. The carriage rates of pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae and Branhamella catarrhalis decreased with increasing age of the children, and that of beta-haemolytic streptococci increased; however, the carriage rates during the two periods did not differ significantly. The overall isolation frequencies of these bacteria were 72%, 43% and 38%, respectively, for children aged 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 years, and 5.9% for the staff.     

Decreased Absence due to Infectious Diseases in Children at Two Day Care Centres over an Eight-Year Interval

ABSTRACT. Causes of absence were recorded at two day care centres during a seven-month period in 1979/80 and a corresponding period in 1987/88, for 82 and 87 children, respectively. During the eight-year interval absence due to disease decreased from 8.2 % to 5.7 % of total day-care days. A decrease in epidemic diseases during the eight years was evident. There were no cases of morbilli, parotitis or rubella in 1987/88, following an immunisation programme for these diseases initiated in 1982. An out-break of varicellae occurred in 1979/80, as compared with only few cases in 1987/88. Respiratory tract infection was the most common type of illness both in 1979/80 and in 1987/88. The mean number of illness episodes of respiratory tract infections per child, aged 5-6, was significantly higher in the earlier than in the later period, whereas no corresponding difference was evident for the younger age groups. Although, in the meantime parent benefits for home care of sick children had become more generous, attendance at the two day care centres rose from 62 % in 1979/80 to 79 % in 1987/88 of total day-care days, suggesting a truly decreased morbidity. The carriage rates of pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae and Branhamella catarrholis decreased with increasing age of the children, and that of beta-haemolytic streptococci increased; however, the carriage rates during the two periods did not differ significantly. The overall isolation frequencies of these bacteria were 72 %, 43 % and 38 %, respectively, for children aged 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 years, and 5.9% for the staff.     

Essential hypertension: antecedents in children

A prospective study was conducted to determine the incidence of essential hypertension (EH) and identify markers, if any, in children of essential hypertension families. The study group included 90 children (2-18 years) with a parent or grandparent with EH while the control group had 25 age matched children from non-hypertensive families. Around 30% children (n=27) from these families had a diastolic blood pressure of >95th centile and an additional 27% (n=24) had borderline hypertension. The serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides and 24 hour urinary sodium excretion were significantly higher in the study group (p < 0.05) as compared to controls. The children from the study group also had a significant high salt (p < 0.001) and fat intake (P < 0.05).     

湖北仙桃农村留守儿童健康状况的初步研究

目的：研究湖北仙桃农村留守儿童营养状况、心理健康和身体健康状况。方法：对湖北仙桃农村6所小学4～6年级学生1000人进行问卷调查,包括一般情况问卷、家庭经济状况问卷、儿童抑郁问卷;并对其进行体格检查。与父母生活在一起,父母无外出打工经历的儿童作为对照组。结果：收回有效问卷875份,其中留守儿童590名,对照儿童285名。留守儿童平均体重35.5±7.1 kg,显著低于对照儿童的36.3±8.8 kg (P＜0.05);留守儿童体重/年龄z评分（-0.9811±0.54）也显著低于对照儿童（-0.7012±0.34）（P＜0.05）。但留守儿童身高、皮脂厚度、体重指数（BMI）以及基本营养状态与对照儿童相比差异无统计学意义。留守儿童抑郁平均得分显著高于对照儿童（11.4± 7.2 vs 8.0± 5.8,P＜0.01),抑郁发生率亦显著高于对照儿童(15.3% vs 6.0%,P＜0.01)。留守儿童扁桃体肿大发生率明显高于对照儿童(32.0% vs 23.2%, P＜0.01);呼吸道感染发生率（14.6%）显著高于对照儿童(14.6% vs 9.5%, P＜0.05);消化道感染发生率亦显著高于对照儿童(7.6% vs 3.9%, P＜0.05)。结论：留守儿童营养状况基本正常,但心理健康状况欠佳,且容易患呼吸道感染等常见病。     

Oxygen saturation and breathing patterns in preterm infants with cyanotic episodes

The pathophysiology of cyanotic/apnoeic episodes in preterm infants was investigated using overnight tape recordings of beat-to-beat arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), plethysmographic waveforms from the oximeter, breathing movements and nasal airflow. Recordings were made in 16 preterm infants with recurrent cyanotic episodes of unknown cause that had received stimulation or resuscitation, and 15 preterm controls, matched for birth weight, post-conceptional and postnatal age. The recordings were analysed for baseline SaO2, the number of hypoxaemic episodes (SaO2 < or = 80% for > or = 4 s) and the breathing patterns associated with each episode. There was a significant difference in the total number of hypoxaemic episodes between patients and controls (520 versus 100; p < 0.01), but no difference was found for mean baseline SaO2 (98.6 versus 99.0%; p > 0.05). The mean duration of each hypoxaemic episode in the patients was 9.5 s compared with 5.8 s in the controls (p < 0.01). Although most hypoxaemic episodes (62 and 76%) were associated with pauses in breathing movements, a proportion (8 and 18%, respectively) occurred despite continuous airflow and breathing movements in both patients (6 of 16) and preterm controls (2 of 15). The rate of decrease in SaO2 was significantly more rapid during these latter hypoxaemic episodes than during episodes associated with isolated apnoeic pauses (8.5 versus 3.2% per second, p = 0.02). Preterm infants with cyanotic episodes have increased numbers of clinically unapparent hypoxaemic episodes, some of which have continued ventilation and rapid desaturation. The pathogenesis of these episodes warrants further investigation.