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

Acta Paediatr Scand. 1990 Apr;79(4):402-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1990.tb11484.x.

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 frequencies.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Age Factors
  • Child Day Care Centers*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / epidemiology*
  • Risk Factors
  • Seasons
  • Sweden / epidemiology