Trends in Environmentally Related Childhood Illnesses
| Autor: | Onyemaechi Nweke, Tracey J. Woodruff, Amy D. Kyle, Bradford J. Hurley, Gregory G. Miller, Daniel A. Axelrad |
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| Rok vydání: | 2004 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Pediatrics. 113:1133-1140 |
| ISSN: | 1098-4275 0031-4005 |
| Popis: | Tracking incidence or prevalence of dis- eases and using that information to target interventions is a well-established strategy for improving public health. The need to track environmentally mediated chronic diseases is increasingly recognized. Trends in childhood illnesses are 1 element of a framework for children's environmental health indicators, which also includes trends in contaminants in the environment and in concentrations of contaminants in bodies of children and their mothers. This article presents data on 3 groups of important childhood diseases or disorders that seem to be caused or exacerbated, at least in part, by exposure to environmental agents and for which nationally represen- tative data are available. They are asthma, childhood cancers, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Data were used from the National Health Interview Survey for asthma and neurodevelopmental disorders; the Surveil- lance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program for child- hood cancer incidence; and the National Vital Statistics System for childhood cancer mortality. The prevalence of children with asthma doubled between 1980 and 1995, from 3.6% in 1980 to 7.5% in 1995. The annual incidence of childhood cancer increased from 1975 until approxi- mately 1990 and seems to have become fairly stable since. Childhood cancer mortality has declined substantially during the past 25 years. Incidence of certain types of cancers has increased since 1974, including acute lym- phoblastic leukemia, central nervous system tumors, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Approximately 6.7% of chil- dren aged 5 to 17 were reported to have attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder in 1997-2000, and approximately 6 of every 1000 children were reported to have received a diagnosis of mental retardation during the same period. Pediatrics 2004;113:1133-1140; children, environmental health, tracking, surveillance, illness, asthma, cancer. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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