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Preterm birth and unintentional injuries: risks to children, adolescents and young adults show no consistent pattern
Author(s) -
Calling Susanna,
Palmér Karolina,
Jönsson Lena,
Sundquist Jan,
Winkleby Marilyn,
Sundquist Kristina
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.12106
Subject(s) - medicine , injury prevention , pediatrics , hazard ratio , poison control , occupational safety and health , young adult , mental health , suicide prevention , premature birth , demography , confidence interval , pregnancy , gestational age , psychiatry , gerontology , environmental health , pathology , sociology , biology , genetics
Aim Preterm birth is associated with a number of physical and mental health issues. The aim of this study was to find out whether there was also any association between individuals born preterm in Sweden between 1984 and 2006 and the risk of unintentional injuries during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. Methods The study followed 2 297 134 individuals, including 5.9% born preterm, from 1985 to 2007 for unintentional injuries leading to hospitalization or death (n = 244 021). The males and females were divided into four age groups: 1–5 years, 6–12 years, 13–18 years and 19–23 years. Hazard ratios were calculated for falls, transport injuries and other injuries. Results After adjusting for a comprehensive set of covariates, some of the preterm subgroups demonstrated slightly increased risks of unintentional injuries, while others showed slightly decreased risks. However, most of the estimates were borderline or non‐significant in both males and females. In addition, the absolute risk differences between individuals born preterm and full term were small. Conclusion Despite the association between preterm birth and a variety of physical and mental health consequences, this study shows that there is no consistent risk pattern between preterm birth and unintentional injuries in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood.