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Simpson CH, Lewis K, Taylor J, Hajna S, Macfarlane A, Hardelid P, Symonds P. Housing Characteristics and Hospital Admissions due to Falls on Stairs: A National Birth Cohort Study. J Pediatr 2024; 275:114191. [PMID: 39004170 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess associations between housing characteristics and risk of hospital admissions related to falls on/from stairs in children, to help inform prevention measures. STUDY DESIGN An existing dataset of birth records linked to hospital admissions up to age 5 for a cohort of 3 925 737 children born in England between 2008 and 2014, was linked to postcode-level housing data from Energy Performance Certificates. Association between housing construction age, tenure (eg, owner occupied), and built form and risk of stair fall-related hospital admissions was estimated using Poisson regression. We stratified by age (<1 and 1-4 years), and adjusted for geographic region, Index of Multiple Deprivation, and maternal age. RESULTS The incidence was higher in both age strata for children in neighborhoods with homes built before 1900 compared with homes built in 2003 or later (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.40; 95% CI, 1.10-1.77 [age <1 year], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.05-1.36 [age 1-4 years]). For those aged 1-4 years, the incidence was higher for those in neighborhoods with housing built between 1900 and 1929, compared with 2003 or later (IRR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.13-1.41), or with predominantly social-rented homes compared with owner occupied (IRR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.29). Neighborhoods with predominantly houses compared with flats had higher incidence (IRR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.08-1.42 [<1 year] and IRR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.25 [1-4 years]). CONCLUSIONS Changes in building regulations may explain the lower fall incidence in newer homes compared with older homes. Fall prevention campaigns should consider targeting neighborhoods with older or social-rented housing. Future analyses would benefit from data linkage to individual homes, as opposed to local area level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles H Simpson
- UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kate Lewis
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Samantha Hajna
- Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Canada
| | - Alison Macfarlane
- Department of Midwifery and Radiography, City University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pia Hardelid
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Phil Symonds
- UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, UCL, London, United Kingdom.
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Masukume G, Grech V, Ryan M. Sporting tournaments and changed birth rates 9 months later: a systematic review. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16993. [PMID: 38436006 PMCID: PMC10906258 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Major sporting tournaments may be associated with increased birth rates 9 months afterwards, possibly due to celebratory sex. The influence of major sporting tournaments on birth patterns remains to be fully explored. Methods Studies that examined the relationship between such events and altered birth metrics (number of births and/or birth sex ratio (male/total live births)) 9(±1) months later were sought in PubMed and Scopus and reported via standard guidelines. Database searches were conducted up to 7 November 2022. Results Five events led to increased birth metrics 9(±1) months later and these included the Super Bowl, the 2009 UEFA Champions League, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the 2016 UEFA Euros and the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Several la Liga soccer matches also had effects. With a few exceptions, major American football, Association football (soccer) and Rugby apex tournaments in Africa, North America, Asia and Europe were associated with increases in the number of babies born and/or in the birth sex ratio 9(±1) months following notable team wins and/or hosting the tournament. Furthermore, unexpected losses by teams from a premier soccer league were associated with a decline in births 9 months on. Conclusions This systematic review establishes that major sporting tournaments have a notable impact on birth patterns, influencing both birth rates and sex ratios. Emotional intensification during these events likely triggers hormonal shifts, driving changes in sexual activity and subsequently shaping birth rates, often positively, about 9 months later. The context is crucial, especially when a region/country hosts a major single-sport tournament or participates for the first time, as population excitement is likely to be at its peak. These findings hold significance for healthcare planning and highlight the role of societal events in shaping demographic trends. PROSPERO registration CRD42022382971.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwinyai Masukume
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Victor Grech
- Academic Department of Paediatrics, Medical School, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta
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Youssim I, Erez O, Novack L, Nevo D, Kloog I, Raz R. Ambient temperature and preeclampsia: A historical cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 238:117107. [PMID: 37696321 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies found inconsistent associations between ambient temperature during pregnancy and the risk of preeclampsia. If such associations are causal, they may impact the future burden of preeclampsia in the context of climate change. We used a historical cohort of 129,009 pregnancies (5074 preeclampsia cases) from southern Israel that was merged with temperature assessments from a hybrid satellite-based exposure model. Distributed-lag and cause-specific hazard models were employed to study time to all preeclampsia cases, followed by stratification according to early (≤34 weeks) and late (>34 weeks) onset disease and identify critical exposure periods. We found a positive association between temperature and preeclampsia during gestation, which was stronger in the 3rd trimester. For example, during week 33, compared to the reference temperature of 22.4 °C, the cause-specific hazard ratio (HRCS) of preeclampsia was 1.01 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.02) when exposed to 30 °C, 1.05 (95%CI: 1.03-1.08) at 35 °C, and 1.07 (95%CI: 1.04-1.10) at 37 °C. The associations existed with both early- and late-onset preeclampsia; however, the associations with the early-onset disease were somewhat stronger, limited to the first weeks of pregnancy and the third trimester, and with larger confidence intervals. The HRCS for early preeclampsia onset, when exposed to 37 °C compared to 22.4 °C during week 33, was 1.12 (95%CI: 0.96-1.30), and for late-onset preeclampsia, the HRCS was 1.09 (95%CI: 1.05-1.13). To conclude, exposure to high temperatures at the beginning and, particularly, the end of gestation is associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia in southern Israel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iaroslav Youssim
- Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Offer Erez
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Israel; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hutzel Women's Hospital, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Lena Novack
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel; Soroka University Medical Center, Israel, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Daniel Nevo
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Itai Kloog
- The Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Raanan Raz
- Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
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Varella MAC. Nocturnal selective pressures on the evolution of human musicality as a missing piece of the adaptationist puzzle. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1215481. [PMID: 37860295 PMCID: PMC10582961 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1215481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Human musicality exhibits the necessary hallmarks for biological adaptations. Evolutionary explanations focus on recurrent adaptive problems that human musicality possibly solved in ancestral environments, such as mate selection and competition, social bonding/cohesion and social grooming, perceptual and motor skill development, conflict reduction, safe time-passing, transgenerational communication, mood regulation and synchronization, and credible signaling of coalition and territorial/predator defense. Although not mutually exclusive, these different hypotheses are still not conceptually integrated nor clearly derived from independent principles. I propose The Nocturnal Evolution of Human Musicality and Performativity Theory in which the night-time is the missing piece of the adaptationist puzzle of human musicality and performing arts. The expansion of nocturnal activities throughout human evolution, which is tied to tree-to-ground sleep transition and habitual use of fire, might help (i) explain the evolution of musicality from independent principles, (ii) explain various seemingly unrelated music features and functions, and (iii) integrate many ancestral adaptive values proposed. The expansion into the nocturnal niche posed recurrent ancestral adaptive challenges/opportunities: lack of luminosity, regrouping to cook before sleep, imminent dangerousness, low temperatures, peak tiredness, and concealment of identity. These crucial night-time features might have selected evening-oriented individuals who were prone to acoustic communication, more alert and imaginative, gregarious, risk-taking and novelty-seeking, prone to anxiety modulation, hedonistic, promiscuous, and disinhibited. Those night-time selected dispositions may have converged and enhanced protomusicality into human musicality by facilitating it to assume many survival- and reproduction-enhancing roles (social cohesion and coordination, signaling of coalitions, territorial defense, antipredatorial defense, knowledge transference, safe passage of time, children lullabies, and sexual selection) that are correspondent to the co-occurring night-time adaptive challenges/opportunities. The nocturnal dynamic may help explain musical features (sound, loudness, repetitiveness, call and response, song, elaboration/virtuosity, and duetting/chorusing). Across vertebrates, acoustic communication mostly occurs in nocturnal species. The eveningness chronotype is common among musicians and composers. Adolescents, who are the most evening-oriented humans, enjoy more music. Contemporary tribal nocturnal activities around the campfire involve eating, singing/dancing, storytelling, and rituals. I discuss the nocturnal integration of musicality's many roles and conclude that musicality is probably a multifunctional mental adaptation that evolved along with the night-time adaptive landscape.
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Teivaanmäki T, Hallamaa L, Rantakari K, Andersson S, Leskinen M. Time of Delivery Contributes to Mortality and Morbidity in Preterm Infants. Neonatology 2023; 120:741-750. [PMID: 37757770 DOI: 10.1159/000533876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Knowledge about the time of birth and its impact on premature infants is essential when planning perinatal and neonatal care and resource allocation. We studied the time of birth and its contribution to early death and morbidity in preterm infants. METHODS We explored the time and mode of birth of infants with birthweight of <1,500 g and gestational age of <32+0/7 weeks. Additionally, we divided the infants into three groups stratified by their time of birth, i.e., during office hours, evening, and nighttime and assessed associations between these groups and mortality and morbidity. RESULTS The study comprised 1,610 infants of whom 156 (10%) died during their stay in neonatal intensive care unit. The highest number of deliveries occurred on Fridays (21%, n = 341/1,610), primarily due to high number of cesarean sections. Deliveries peaked on workdays at 10 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Mortality was lowest among infants born on Fridays (6%, n = 21/341) and highest on Mondays (13%, n = 28/218). Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (odds ratio [OR]: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.10-2.03, p = 0.010) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) (OR: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.13-3.91, p = 0.019) were more common among infants born at nighttime. These associations attenuated after adjustment for covariates. CONCLUSION Deliveries of premature infants peaked on Fridays. Mortality was lower among those born on Fridays, compared with Mondays. Many low-risk deliveries on Fridays may decrease, and the tendency to postpone high-risk deliveries to Mondays, increase the proportional risk of mortality. Indication of higher risk of IVH and NEC among infants born during nighttime may be due to different patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiina Teivaanmäki
- Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lotta Hallamaa
- Center for Child, Adolescent and Maternal Health Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Krista Rantakari
- Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sture Andersson
- Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Markus Leskinen
- Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Declercq E, Wolterink A, Rowe R, de Jonge A, De Vries R, Nieuwenhuijze M, Verhoeven C, Shah N. The natural pattern of birth timing and gestational age in the U.S. compared to England, and the Netherlands. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278856. [PMID: 36652413 PMCID: PMC9847908 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine cross-national differences in gestational age over time in the U.S. and across three wealthy countries in 2020 as well as examine patterns of birth timing by hour of the day in home and spontaneous vaginal hospital births in the three countries. METHODS We did a comparative cohort analysis with data on gestational age and the timing of birth from the United States, England and the Netherlands, comparing hospital and home births. For overall gestational age comparisons, we drew on national birth cohorts from the U.S. (1990, 2014 & 2020), the Netherlands (2014 & 2020) and England (2020). Birth timing data was drawn from national data from the U.S. (2014 & 2020), the Netherlands (2014) and from a large representative sample from England (2008-10). We compared timing of births by hour of the day in hospital and home births in all three countries. RESULTS The U.S. overall mean gestational age distribution, based on last menstrual period, decreased by more than half a week between 1990 (39.1 weeks) and 2020 (38.5 weeks). The 2020 U.S. gestational age distribution (76% births prior to 40 weeks) was distinct from England (60%) and the Netherlands (56%). The gestational age distribution and timing of home births was comparable in the three countries. Home births peaked in early morning between 2:00 am and 5:00 am. In England and the Netherlands, hospital spontaneous vaginal births showed a generally similar timing pattern to home births. In the U.S., the pattern was reversed with a prolonged peak of spontaneous vaginal hospital births between 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest organizational priorities can potentially disturb natural patterns of gestation and birth timing with a potential to improve U.S. perinatal outcomes with organizational models that more closely resemble those of England and the Netherlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Declercq
- Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Anneke Wolterink
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Midwifery Science, AVAG/ Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rachel Rowe
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, England
| | - Ank de Jonge
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Midwifery Science, AVAG/ Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Raymond De Vries
- Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | | | - Corine Verhoeven
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Midwifery Science, AVAG/ Amsterdam Public Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Neel Shah
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Coathup V, Carson C, Kurinczuk JJ, Macfarlane AJ, Boyle E, Johnson S, Petrou S, Quigley MA. Associations between gestational age at birth and infection-related hospital admission rates during childhood in England: Population-based record linkage study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257341. [PMID: 34555039 PMCID: PMC8459942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children born preterm (<37 completed weeks' gestation) have a higher risk of infection-related morbidity than those born at term. However, few large, population-based studies have investigated the risk of infection in childhood across the full spectrum of gestational age. The objectives of this study were to explore the association between gestational age at birth and infection-related hospital admissions up to the age of 10 years, how infection-related hospital admission rates change throughout childhood, and whether being born small for gestational age (SGA) modifies this relationship. METHODS AND FINDINGS Using a population-based, record-linkage cohort study design, birth registrations, birth notifications and hospital admissions were linked using a deterministic algorithm. The study population included all live, singleton births occurring in NHS hospitals in England from January 2005 to December 2006 (n = 1,018,136). The primary outcome was all infection-related inpatient hospital admissions from birth to 10 years of age, death or study end (March 2015). The secondary outcome was the type of infection-related hospital admission, grouped into broad categories. Generalised estimating equations were used to estimate adjusted rate ratios (aRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each gestational age category (<28, 28-29, 30-31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42 weeks) and the models were repeated by age at admission (<1, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, and 7-10 years). An interaction term was included in the model to test whether SGA status modified the relationship between gestational age and infection-related hospital admissions. Gestational age was strongly associated with rates of infection-related hospital admissions throughout childhood. Whilst the relationship attenuated over time, at 7-10 years of age those born before 40 weeks gestation were still significantly higher in comparison to those born at 40 weeks. Children born <28 weeks had an aRR of 6.53 (5.91-7.22) during infancy, declining to 3.16 (2.50-3.99) at ages 7-10 years, in comparison to those born at 40 weeks; whilst in children born at 38 weeks, the aRRs were 1·24 (1.21-1.27) and 1·18 (1.13-1.23), during infancy and aged 7-10 years, respectively. SGA status modified the effect of gestational age (interaction P<0.0001), with the highest rate among the children born at <28 weeks and SGA. Finally, study findings indicated that the associations with gestational age varied by subgroup of infection. Whilst upper respiratory tract infections were the most common type of infection experienced by children in this cohort, lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) (<28 weeks, aRR = 10.61(9.55-11.79)) and invasive bacterial infections (<28 weeks, aRR = 6.02 (4.56-7.95)) were the most strongly associated with gestational age at birth. Of LRTIs experienced, bronchiolitis (<28 weeks, aRR = 11.86 (10.20-13.80)), and pneumonia (<28 weeks, aRR = 9.49 (7.95-11.32)) were the most common causes. CONCLUSIONS Gestational age at birth was strongly associated with rates of infection-related hospital admissions during childhood and even children born a few weeks early remained at higher risk at 7-10 years of age. There was variation between clinical subgroups in the strength of relationships with gestational age. Effective infection prevention strategies should include focus on reducing the number and severity of LRTIs during early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Coathup
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Carson
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer J. Kurinczuk
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Elaine Boyle
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha Johnson
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Stavros Petrou
- Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Maria A. Quigley
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Favarato G, Clemens T, Cunningham S, Dibben C, Macfarlane A, Milojevic A, Taylor J, Wijlaars LPMM, Wood R, Hardelid P. Air Pollution, housing and respirfatory tract Infections in Children: NatIonal birth Cohort study (PICNIC): study protocol. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e048038. [PMID: 33941636 PMCID: PMC8098990 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-048038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common reason for hospital admission among children <5 years in the UK. The relative contribution of ambient air pollution exposure and adverse housing conditions to RTI admissions in young children is unclear and has not been assessed in a UK context. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The aim of the PICNIC study (Air Pollution, housing and respiratory tract Infections in Children: NatIonal birth Cohort Study) is to quantify the extent to which in-utero, infant and childhood exposures to ambient air pollution and adverse housing conditions are associated with risk of RTI admissions in children <5 years old. We will use national administrative data birth cohorts, including data from all children born in England in 2005-2014 and in Scotland in 1997-2020, created via linkage between civil registration, maternity and hospital admission data sets. We will further enhance these cohorts via linkage to census data on housing conditions and socioeconomic position and small area-level data on ambient air pollution and building characteristics. We will use time-to-event analyses to examine the association between air pollution, housing characteristics and the risk of RTI admissions in children, calculate population attributable fractions for ambient air pollution and housing characteristics, and use causal mediation analyses to explore the mechanisms through which housing and air pollution influence the risk of infant RTI admission. ETHICS, EXPECTED IMPACT AND DISSEMINATION To date, we have obtained approval from six ethics and information governance committees in England and two in Scotland. Our results will inform parents, national and local governments, the National Health Service and voluntary sector organisations of the relative contribution of adverse housing conditions and air pollution to RTI admissions in young children. We will publish our results in open-access journals and present our results to the public via parent groups and social media and on the PICNIC website. Code and metadata will be published on GitHub.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graziella Favarato
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Tom Clemens
- School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Steven Cunningham
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Chris Dibben
- School of Geosciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Ai Milojevic
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jonathon Taylor
- Faculty of Built Environment, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Rachael Wood
- Clinical and Public Health Intelligence Team, Public Health Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Pia Hardelid
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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Zylbersztejn A, Gilbert R, Hardelid P. Developing a national birth cohort for child health research using a hospital admissions database in England: The impact of changes to data collection practices. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243843. [PMID: 33320878 PMCID: PMC7737962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND National birth cohorts derived from administrative health databases constitute unique resources for child health research due to whole country coverage, ongoing follow-up and linkage to other data sources. In England, a national birth cohort can be developed using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), an administrative database covering details of all publicly funded hospital activity, including 97% of births, with longitudinal follow-up via linkage to hospital and mortality records. We present methods for developing a national birth cohort using HES and assess the impact of changes to data collection over time on coverage and completeness of linked follow-up records for children. METHODS We developed a national cohort of singleton live births in 1998-2015, with information on key risk factors at birth (birth weight, gestational age, maternal age, ethnicity, area-level deprivation). We identified three changes to data collection, which could affect linkage of births to follow-up records: (1) the introduction of the "NHS Numbers for Babies (NN4B)", an on-line system which enabled maternity staff to request a unique healthcare patient identifier (NHS number) immediately at birth rather than at civil registration, in Q4 2002; (2) the introduction of additional data quality checks at civil registration in Q3 2009; and (3) correcting a postcode extraction error for births by the data provider in Q2 2013. We evaluated the impact of these changes on trends in two outcomes in infancy: hospital readmissions after birth (using interrupted time series analyses) and mortality rates (compared to published national statistics). RESULTS The cohort covered 10,653,998 babies, accounting for 96% of singleton live births in England in 1998-2015. Overall, 2,077,929 infants (19.5%) had at least one hospital readmission after birth. Readmission rates declined by 0.2% percentage points per annual quarter in Q1 1998 to Q3 2002, shifted up by 6.1% percentage points (compared to the expected value based on the trend before Q4 2002) to 17.7% in Q4 2002 when NN4B was introduced, and increased by 0.1% percentage points per annual quarter thereafter. Infant mortality rates were under-reported by 16% for births in 1998-2002 and similar to published national mortality statistics for births in 2003-2015. The trends in infant readmission were not affected by changes to data collection practices in Q3 2009 and Q2 2013, but the proportion of unlinked mortality records in HES and in ONS further declined after 2009. DISCUSSION HES can be used to develop a national birth cohort for child health research with follow-up via linkage to hospital and mortality records for children born from 2003 onwards. Re-linking births before 2003 to their follow-up records would maximise potential benefits of this rich resource, enabling studies of outcomes in adolescents with over 20 years of follow-up.
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Grants
- MR/K006584/1 Medical Research Council
- Arthritis Research UK
- British Heart Foundation
- Cancer Research UK
- Chief Scientist Office
- Department of Health
- Wellcome Trust
- Awards to establish the Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research, London, from the Medical Research Council, Arthritis Research UK, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Chief Scientist Office, Economic and Social Research Council, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, National Institute for Social Care and Health Research, and Wellcome Trust
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Affiliation(s)
- Ania Zylbersztejn
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Children and Families Policy Research Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Gilbert
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Children and Families Policy Research Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
- Health Data Research UK London, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pia Hardelid
- Population, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
- NIHR Children and Families Policy Research Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
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Coathup V, Boyle E, Carson C, Johnson S, Kurinzcuk JJ, Macfarlane A, Petrou S, Rivero-Arias O, Quigley MA. Gestational age and hospital admissions during childhood: population based, record linkage study in England (TIGAR study). BMJ 2020; 371:m4075. [PMID: 33239272 PMCID: PMC7687266 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.m4075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the association between gestational age at birth and hospital admissions to age 10 years and how admission rates change throughout childhood. DESIGN Population based, record linkage, cohort study in England. SETTING NHS hospitals in England, United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS 1 018 136 live, singleton births in NHS hospitals in England between January 2005 and December 2006. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcome was all inpatient hospital admissions from birth to age 10, death, or study end (March 2015); secondary outcome was the main cause of admission, which was defined as the World Health Organization's first international classification of diseases, version 10 (ICD-10) code within each hospital admission record. RESULTS 1 315 338 admissions occurred between 1 January 2005 and 31 March 2015, and 831 729 (63%) were emergency admissions. 525 039 (52%) of 1 018 136 children were admitted to hospital at least once during the study period. Hospital admissions during childhood were strongly associated with gestational age at birth (<28, 28-29, 30-31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, and 42 weeks). In comparison with children born at full term (40 weeks' gestation), those born extremely preterm (<28 weeks) had the highest rate of hospital admission throughout childhood (adjusted rate ratio 4.92, 95% confidence interval 4.58 to 5.30). Even children born at 38 weeks had a higher rate of hospital admission throughout childhood (1.19, 1.16 to 1.22). The association between gestational age and hospital admission decreased with increasing age (interaction P<0.001). Children born earlier than 28 weeks had an adjusted rate ratio of 6.34 (95% confidence interval 5.80 to 6.85) at age less than 1 year, declining to 3.28 (2.82 to 3.82) at ages 7-10, in comparison with those born full term; whereas in children born at 38 weeks, the adjusted rate ratios were 1.29 (1.27 to 1.31) and 1.16 (1.13 to 1.19), during infancy and ages 7-10, respectively. Infection was the main cause of excess hospital admissions at all ages, but particularly during infancy. Respiratory and gastrointestinal conditions also accounted for a large proportion of admissions during the first two years of life. CONCLUSIONS The association between gestational age and hospital admission rates decreased with age, but an excess risk remained throughout childhood, even among children born at 38 and 39 weeks of gestation. Strategies aimed at the prevention and management of childhood infections should target children born preterm and those born a few weeks early.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Coathup
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7FL, UK
| | - Elaine Boyle
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Claire Carson
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7FL, UK
| | - Samantha Johnson
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Jennifer J Kurinzcuk
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7FL, UK
| | | | - Stavros Petrou
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Oliver Rivero-Arias
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7FL, UK
| | - Maria A Quigley
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford OX3 7FL, UK
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Coathup V, Macfarlane A, Quigley M. Linkage of maternity hospital episode statistics birth records to birth registration and notification records for births in England 2005-2006: quality assurance of linkage. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e037885. [PMID: 33109650 PMCID: PMC7592278 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to describe the methods used to assess the quality of linkage between records of babies' birth registration and hospital birth records, and to evaluate the potential bias that may be introduced because of these methods. DESIGN/SETTING Data from the civil registration and the notification of births previously linked by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) had been further linked to birth records from the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for babies born in England. We developed a deterministic, six-stage algorithm to assess the quality of this linkage. PARTICIPANTS All 1 170 790 live, singleton births, occurring in National Health Service hospitals in England between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2006. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE The primary outcome was the number of successful links between ONS birth records and HES birth records. Rates of successful linkage were calculated for the cohort and the characteristics associated with unsuccessful linkage were identified. RESULTS Approximately 92% (1 074 572) of the birth registration records were successfully linked with a HES birth record. Data quality and completeness were somewhat poorer in HES birth records compared with linked birth registration and birth notification records. The quality assurance algorithms identified 1456 incorrect linkages (<1%). Compared with the linked dataset, birth records were more likely to be unlinked if babies were of white ethnic origin; born to unmarried mothers; born in East England, London, North West England or the West Midlands; or born in March. CONCLUSIONS It is possible to link administrative datasets to create large cohorts, allowing researchers to explore important questions about exposures and childhood outcomes. Missing data, coding errors and inconsistencies mean it is important that the quality of linkage is assessed prior to analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Coathup
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alison Macfarlane
- Centre for Maternal and Child Health Research, School of Health Sciences, City University, London, UK
| | - Maria Quigley
- National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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