New Study by ECHILD Team Finds At Least One in Four Children in England Develop Chronic Health Conditions by Age 16

A study led by the ECHILD team at University College London’s Institute of Child Health (UCL ICH) has found that 25% of children born in England in 2003/04 were admitted to hospital with a chronic health condition (CHC) by the time they reached age 16. Using data from the Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data (ECHILD) database, the team, led by Dr Matthew Jay, tracked hospital inpatient admissions to estimate the cumulative incidence of CHCs like asthma, epilepsy, cancer, diabetes and metabolic conditions. The research, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, also shows that the rates of multi-morbidity—where children are affected by multiple conditions—are rising, with 28% of children admitted with a CHC experiencing multiple health problems across different body systems by age 16.

The study highlights the importance of linking administrative health and education data to accurately monitor the health of children over time. By using the ECHILD database, the researchers were able to overcome challenges related to population migration and provide a more reliable estimate of childhood health conditions. The findings shed light on the increasing burden of chronic illness in childhood, emphasizing the need for early intervention and targeted support services to improve children’s health outcomes. The results will help inform policy decisions and resource allocation for managing childhood multimorbidity and supporting families. Read the full story here.