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Growth, morbidity and mortality after chickenpox infection in young children in Guinea-Bissau

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Author

  • Anja Poulsen
  • Fernando Cabral
  • Jens Nielsen
  • Adam Roth
  • Ida Lisse
  • Peter Aaby

Summary, in English

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether chickenpox in children below 2 years of age is associated with post-infection changes in growth, morbidity or mortality. METHODS: An outbreak of chickenpox was investigated in Guinea-Bissau. An examination, interview and anthropometry were performed 6 months after the epidemic for a group of children and matched controls whose weight had been measured at the time of the chickenpox episode. All children diagnosed with chickenpox before 2 years of age were followed for survival and hospitalisations to the age of 3 years and compared with all other children in the community. RESULTS: At the 6-month follow-up, skin infections tended to be more frequent in cases (p<0.06) and more cases had used antibiotics within the last month (p<0.03). Although there had been no difference before chickenpox infection, girls with chickenpox infection had significantly higher weight, height and larger arm-circumferences than controls (all p<0.01). After chickenpox infection, the incidence of hospitalisation and long-term mortality was the same for cases and other children in the community (respectively, incidence rate ratio=1.16 (0.77-1.74) and mortality ratio=0.74 (0.39-1.41)). CONCLUSION: Though chickenpox may be associated with increased short-term morbidity, it does not appear to have any negative long-term effect on growth, severe morbidity and survival of young children.

Publishing year

2005

Language

English

Pages

307-313

Publication/Series

Journal of Infection

Volume

51

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

W.B. Saunders

Topic

  • Infectious Medicine

Keywords

  • Chickenpox
  • Long-term consequence
  • Mortality
  • Growth
  • Infection
  • Varicella zoster virus

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1532-2742