Children infected with meningitis before 1 year of age were at increased risk of disability at 5 years of age

TY - JOUR

T1 - Children infected with meningitis before 1 year of age were at increased risk of disability at 5 years of age

AU - Purssell, E

PY - 2002

Y1 - 2002

N2 - QUESTION: In children who had meningitis during their first year of life, what are the sequelae at 5 years of age? Design, Inception cohort of children who survived an acute attack of meningitis in their first year., Setting, General practices in the UK., Patients, 1717 children who contracted meningitis during their first year. Sex and age matched children from the same general practice as the index child formed the control group. Data at 5 years of age were available for 1584 children (92%) who had had meningitis and 1391 control group children (94%). Assessment of prognostic factors, General practitioners (GPs) completed questionnaires on children, which described problems in health, neuromotor development, learning, vision, hearing, speech and language, behaviour, and presence of seizure disorders. Parents completed questionnaires on their child's health, development, and schooling. Gestational age, birth weight, the organism that caused the meningitis, and age at time of infection were also recorded., Main outcome measures, Disability (none to severe) at 5 years of age. Children with no disability had no developmental problems, but might have such conditions as asthma or eczema. Children with mild disability had a condition prevalent in the age group, including middle ear disease, squint, febrile convulsions, or behavioural problems. Children with moderate disability attended mainstream school, with or without help, and had impaired functioning, but no severe intellectual or developmental disability. Conditions in this group included mild neuromotor disabilities, intellectual impairment, moderate sensorineural hearing loss, mild to moderate visual impairment, treatment controlled epilepsy, and uncomplicated hydrocephalus. Children with severe disability were unable to attend mainstream school and conditions included severe neuromotor and intellectual impairment, severe seizure disorders, and severe visual or auditory impairment., Main results, 32 children (1.9%) who survived the initial meningitis attack died before 5 years of age. Children who had had meningitis were at greater risk of health and developmental problems than control group children (p <0.001 for all problems). They had increased risk of severe or moderate disability (247 children [15.6%], p <0.001) and mild disability (461 children [29%], p <0.001) (table). Children infected with meningitis within the first month of life had more health and developmental problems than those infected after 1 month of age (p=0.03). Severity of disability varied according to type of organism responsible for the infection; the highest rates of severe or moderate disability occurred with meningitis caused by less prevalent organisms., Conclusion, Children who had meningitis in their first year of life had a 10-fold increase in the risk of moderate or severe disability at 5 years of age compared with non-infected children

AB - QUESTION: In children who had meningitis during their first year of life, what are the sequelae at 5 years of age? Design, Inception cohort of children who survived an acute attack of meningitis in their first year., Setting, General practices in the UK., Patients, 1717 children who contracted meningitis during their first year. Sex and age matched children from the same general practice as the index child formed the control group. Data at 5 years of age were available for 1584 children (92%) who had had meningitis and 1391 control group children (94%). Assessment of prognostic factors, General practitioners (GPs) completed questionnaires on children, which described problems in health, neuromotor development, learning, vision, hearing, speech and language, behaviour, and presence of seizure disorders. Parents completed questionnaires on their child's health, development, and schooling. Gestational age, birth weight, the organism that caused the meningitis, and age at time of infection were also recorded., Main outcome measures, Disability (none to severe) at 5 years of age. Children with no disability had no developmental problems, but might have such conditions as asthma or eczema. Children with mild disability had a condition prevalent in the age group, including middle ear disease, squint, febrile convulsions, or behavioural problems. Children with moderate disability attended mainstream school, with or without help, and had impaired functioning, but no severe intellectual or developmental disability. Conditions in this group included mild neuromotor disabilities, intellectual impairment, moderate sensorineural hearing loss, mild to moderate visual impairment, treatment controlled epilepsy, and uncomplicated hydrocephalus. Children with severe disability were unable to attend mainstream school and conditions included severe neuromotor and intellectual impairment, severe seizure disorders, and severe visual or auditory impairment., Main results, 32 children (1.9%) who survived the initial meningitis attack died before 5 years of age. Children who had had meningitis were at greater risk of health and developmental problems than control group children (p <0.001 for all problems). They had increased risk of severe or moderate disability (247 children [15.6%], p <0.001) and mild disability (461 children [29%], p <0.001) (table). Children infected with meningitis within the first month of life had more health and developmental problems than those infected after 1 month of age (p=0.03). Severity of disability varied according to type of organism responsible for the infection; the highest rates of severe or moderate disability occurred with meningitis caused by less prevalent organisms., Conclusion, Children who had meningitis in their first year of life had a 10-fold increase in the risk of moderate or severe disability at 5 years of age compared with non-infected children

U2 - 10.1136/ebn.5.2.59

DO - 10.1136/ebn.5.2.59

M3 - Article

SN - 1468-9618

VL - 5

SP - 59

JO - Evidence-Based Nursing

JF - Evidence-Based Nursing

IS - 2

ER -