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Growth, morbidity and mortality after chickenpox infection in young children in Guinea-Bissau

Poulsen, Anja ; Cabral, Fernando ; Nielsen, Jens ; Roth, Adam LU ; Lisse, Ida and Aaby, Peter (2005) In Journal of Infection 51(4). p.307-313
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether chickenpox in children below 2 years of age is associated with post-infection changes in growth, morbidity or mortality. METHODS: An outbreak of chickenpox was investigated in Guinea-Bissau. An examination, interview and anthropometry were performed 6 months after the epidemic for a group of children and matched controls whose weight had been measured at the time of the chickenpox episode. All children diagnosed with chickenpox before 2 years of age were followed for survival and hospitalisations to the age of 3 years and compared with all other children in the community. RESULTS: At the 6-month follow-up, skin infections tended to be more frequent in cases (p<0.06) and more cases had used antibiotics... (More)
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether chickenpox in children below 2 years of age is associated with post-infection changes in growth, morbidity or mortality. METHODS: An outbreak of chickenpox was investigated in Guinea-Bissau. An examination, interview and anthropometry were performed 6 months after the epidemic for a group of children and matched controls whose weight had been measured at the time of the chickenpox episode. All children diagnosed with chickenpox before 2 years of age were followed for survival and hospitalisations to the age of 3 years and compared with all other children in the community. RESULTS: At the 6-month follow-up, skin infections tended to be more frequent in cases (p<0.06) and more cases had used antibiotics within the last month (p<0.03). Although there had been no difference before chickenpox infection, girls with chickenpox infection had significantly higher weight, height and larger arm-circumferences than controls (all p<0.01). After chickenpox infection, the incidence of hospitalisation and long-term mortality was the same for cases and other children in the community (respectively, incidence rate ratio=1.16 (0.77-1.74) and mortality ratio=0.74 (0.39-1.41)). CONCLUSION: Though chickenpox may be associated with increased short-term morbidity, it does not appear to have any negative long-term effect on growth, severe morbidity and survival of young children. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Chickenpox, Long-term consequence, Mortality, Growth, Infection, Varicella zoster virus
in
Journal of Infection
volume
51
issue
4
pages
307 - 313
publisher
W.B. Saunders
external identifiers
  • pmid:16291283
  • scopus:28044446583
ISSN
1532-2742
DOI
10.1016/j.jinf.2004.09.004
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
409a0a67-c761-404a-8092-1f1dad97b126 (old id 1132893)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:47:22
date last changed
2022-04-22 17:27:39
@article{409a0a67-c761-404a-8092-1f1dad97b126,
  abstract     = {{OBJECTIVE: To examine whether chickenpox in children below 2 years of age is associated with post-infection changes in growth, morbidity or mortality. METHODS: An outbreak of chickenpox was investigated in Guinea-Bissau. An examination, interview and anthropometry were performed 6 months after the epidemic for a group of children and matched controls whose weight had been measured at the time of the chickenpox episode. All children diagnosed with chickenpox before 2 years of age were followed for survival and hospitalisations to the age of 3 years and compared with all other children in the community. RESULTS: At the 6-month follow-up, skin infections tended to be more frequent in cases (p&lt;0.06) and more cases had used antibiotics within the last month (p&lt;0.03). Although there had been no difference before chickenpox infection, girls with chickenpox infection had significantly higher weight, height and larger arm-circumferences than controls (all p&lt;0.01). After chickenpox infection, the incidence of hospitalisation and long-term mortality was the same for cases and other children in the community (respectively, incidence rate ratio=1.16 (0.77-1.74) and mortality ratio=0.74 (0.39-1.41)). CONCLUSION: Though chickenpox may be associated with increased short-term morbidity, it does not appear to have any negative long-term effect on growth, severe morbidity and survival of young children.}},
  author       = {{Poulsen, Anja and Cabral, Fernando and Nielsen, Jens and Roth, Adam and Lisse, Ida and Aaby, Peter}},
  issn         = {{1532-2742}},
  keywords     = {{Chickenpox; Long-term consequence; Mortality; Growth; Infection; Varicella zoster virus}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{307--313}},
  publisher    = {{W.B. Saunders}},
  series       = {{Journal of Infection}},
  title        = {{Growth, morbidity and mortality after chickenpox infection in young children in Guinea-Bissau}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinf.2004.09.004}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jinf.2004.09.004}},
  volume       = {{51}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}