Moving in first year of life ups preventable hospitalizations

(HealthDay)—Children who move homes in the first year of life have a significantly increased risk of emergency admissions for potentially preventable hospitalizations (PPH) between ages 1 and 5 years, according to research published online June 3 in Pediatrics.

Hayley A. Hutchings, Ph.D., from Swansea University Medical School in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a cohort analysis of linked anonymized data on 237,842 children in the Welsh Electronic Cohort for Children. The authors examined the correlation between moving homes in the first year of life and subsequent emergency admissions for PPH between 1 and 5 years of age.

The researchers found that, compared with not moving, moving homes frequently in the first year of life correlated with increased risk of emergency PPH between ages 1 and 5, after adjustment for confounders. For two or more moves, there were significant differences associated with ear, nose, and throat infections (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.44); convulsions and epilepsy (IRR, 1.58); injuries (IRR, 1.33); dehydration/gastroenteritis (IRR, 1.51); asthma (IRR, 1.61); and influenza/pneumonia (IRR, 1.15). For one or more move there was a significant difference for dental conditions (IRR, 1.30).

"Additional research that focuses on enhancing health and social support services for highly mobile families, educating parents about safety risks, and improving housing quality is warranted," the authors write.

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