Injury Rate in Children up to 11 Years in Relation to Chronic Diseases in Parents, Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Aim of the study: To find out the impact of chronic diseases of fathers and mothers on injury-rate in (of) their children.

Methods: Parents and children of ELSPAC (European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood) project. According to the number of chronic diseases found out before the birth of children, individual parents and their pairs were divided into four classes of chronicity. Between them injury rate of children was compared. It was followed systematically from birth to 3, 5, 7 and 11 years of age. Anova, chí² tests and RR were used. The causes of injuries were compared between the ages 0 - 7 and 7 - 11 years.

Results: Injury rate of children was positively related to the parental chronicity. The relations appeared to be earlier and stronger to the chronicity of mothers and both parents together than to the chronicity of fathers. Injury risks were of about the same amount in boys as well as in girls.

Conclusion: Chronic morbidity of parents is a serious risk factor for injuries in children. Health and its disorders in families are connected between generations by greater amount of links than we think hitherto, it means to be studied more frequently.