Authors:
Fitzgerald P, Leonard H, Pikora TJ, Bourke J, Hammond G
Authors notes:
PLoS ONE. 2013;8(8):e70401
Keywords:
Down syndrome, disability, health-related problems, morbidity, hospital admissions, linked data
Abstract:
Children with Down syndrome, the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, are prone to multiple and varied health-related problems.
This study describes patterns of hospitalisations for children and young people with Down syndrome in Western Australia.
Of the 405 children, 395 had one or more hospital admissions, totalling 3786 admissions for all children and an estimated 39.5 person-years in hospital.
On average, children were admitted 9.7 times, with an estimated rate of 757.2 admissions per 1000pyr.
A quarter of all admissions occurred in the first year of life.
The average hospital length of stay was 3.8 days.
Upper respiratory tract conditions affected the most children (58.5%) and accounted for 12.1% of all admissions.
Other disorders which affected a high percentage of children were ear/hearing conditions (50.6%), disorders of the oral cavity (38.0%) and lower respiratory tract conditions (37.5%).
Overall, children with Down syndrome were hospitalised at a rate five times that of the general population.
Children with Down syndrome are at increased risk of morbidity for varied causes underlining the importance of comprehensive and targeted primary care for this group.