A nationwide birth cohort in Japan showed increased risk of early childhood hospitalisation in infants born small for gestational age

Abstract

AimTo examine associations between children being born small for gestational age and childhood hospitalisation following term and preterm births.MethodsThis study included 34 564 children from a nationwide population‐based longitudinal survey starting in 2010, comprising 32 603 term births and 1961 preterm births. Children's hospitalisation history was examined during two observational periods, 6–18 and 6–66 months of age. Logistic regression analysis was conducted, adjusting for child and parental confounders, with children born appropriate for gestational age as reference.ResultsChildren born small for gestational age were more likely to be hospitalised during early childhood than those born appropriate for gestational age. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for hospitalisation from 6 to 66 months of age was 1.19 (1.05–1.34) in term children born small for gestational age and 1.47 (1.05–2.06) for preterm children born small for gestational age, compared with those born appropriate for gestational age. The risk of hospitalisation from 6 to 66 months of age in children born small for gestational age was observed for bronchitis/pneumonia.ConclusionWe observed the adverse effects of small for gestational age on hospitalisation during early childhood in both term and preterm births, particularly for bronchitis and pneumonia.