NIH STUDY EXAMINES HEALTHCARE USE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC FOR CHILDREN BORN PRETERM

DURHAM, N.C., May 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Children and adolescents born preterm were more likely to use healthcare services for symptoms related to COVID-19, even after accounting for known risk factors of respiratory illness, according to new research funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program (ECHO) at the National Institutes of Health.

The study is among the first to look at healthcare use by a high-risk population during the pandemic.

"Understanding the different needs of children born preterm and their families during the first year of the pandemic is an important first step toward making healthcare more effective and efficient," said Elisabeth McGowan, MD, of Brown University's Alpert Medical School.

This study included data from 1,691 individuals ages 1–18 years, including 270 who were born preterm, 37 or fewer weeks of gestation. Among these participants, 159 were born at 28 or fewer weeks and were twice as likely to seek healthcare compared to those born at term.

Between April 2020 and August 2021, researchers collected caregiver- or self-reported questionnaires regarding COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare use. Respiratory symptoms were the most common reason for seeking care for those children.

"Understanding the factors associated with both overall healthcare use and symptom-specific use may help healthcare providers identify the best strategies to provide targeted care," said Dr. McGowan.

Dr. McGowan and Barry Lester, PhD, of Brown University's Alpert Medical School along with Monica McGrath, ScD, and Andrew Law, ScM, of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health led this collaborative research published in JAMA Network Open. 

McGowan, E. C. et al, "Healthcare Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Individuals Born Preterm." JAMA Network Open. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10696 

About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

SOURCE NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program

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