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Biomedical subjects

F T Shannon

Publications and source records attributed to F T Shannon.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Morbidity during the preschool years.

The prevalence of illness was studied in a birth cohort of Christchurch children during the period from birth to 5 years. By 5 years children had made an average of 18.0 family doctor consultations for morbidity and a further 4.7 for preventive health care procedures; 38% had been admitted to hospital on at least one occasion and 62% had made one or more attendances at a hospital outpatient department. The majority of general practitioner consultations involved four major groups of conditions: respiratory illness; integumental lesions; gastrointestinal illness and accidents. Hospital admissions were dominated by six groups of conditions: respiratory illness, minor surgery, accidents, feeding and management problems, admissions relating to the child's home environment and gastrointestinal illness. Two thirds of hospital outpatient attendances were accounted for by five groups of conditions: accidents; musculoskeletal conditions; respiratory illness; vision problems and congenital heart murmur.

Accidents↗
PubMed1984

Early hospital admissions and subsequent behaviour problems in 6 year olds.

The relation between admission to hospital during the preschool years and teacher and maternal ratings of child behaviour problems at age 6 years was studied in a birth cohort of New Zealand children. There was a slight but consistent trend for reported behaviour problems to increase with increasing length of hospital stay, however, control for family and social factors suggested that this correlation was spurious. Children admitted to hospital tended to come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and from families reporting large numbers of life events, and independently of this social background and life events were related to childhood behaviour problems. When the effects of family social background and life events were controlled for, there was no significant association between duration of hospital stay and reports of child behaviour problems. It is concluded that there is little evidence to suggest that in a modern paediatric setting, admission to hospital has any significant effect on the child's subsequent behavioural pattern.

Child↗
PubMed1984

Relationship of family life events, maternal depression, and child-rearing problems.

The relationship between maternal reports of child-rearing problems, family life events, and maternal depressive symptoms was studied in a birth cohort of children in New Zealand. Rates of child-rearing problems showed a steady increase with both increasing levels of family life events and maternal depressive symptoms. Log-linear modeling of the results suggested that the apparent correlation between family life events and reports of child-rearing problems was mediated by the effects of maternal depression so that women subject to large numbers of adverse life events suffered increased rates of depression and in turn reported higher rates of problem behavior in their children. There was no significant correlation between family life events and reports of child-rearing problems when the effects of maternal depressive symptoms were taken into account. The findings tend to suggest that the previously reported association between family life events and child-rearing problems arises because life events provoke depressive symptoms in women and in turn this alters the way in which they perceive or evaluate their children's behavior.

Attitude↗
PubMed1983

Domestic swimming pool accidents to pre-school children.

The frequency of accidents in domestic swimming pools was studied retrospectively for a sample of 1123 Christchurch children. During the period from birth to five years, a total of 94 such accidents were reported. While most were trivial and readily rectified by rapid adult intervention, we found six children who clearly might have drowned in a domestic swimming pool but for adult vigilance and a certain amount of luck. These findings underline the fact that current mortality statistics merely reflect the minority of such incidents in which either parental vigilance or luck does not operate. Children with pools on their own or neighbouring properties were two and a half times more likely to be involved in accidents involving domestic pools. We reiterate our plea for the introduction of a uniform and well enforced set of domestic swimming pool safety regulations.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed1983

Attitudes of mothers of five-year-old children to compulsory child health provisions.

The attitudes of a sample of 1123 mothers of five-year-old children participating in the Christchurch Child Development Study, to a series of issues relating to the compulsory protection of children were studied. The issues examined were: the introduction of car seat restraint legislation, compulsory fencing of domestic swimming pools, the desirability of linking child health care provisions to family benefit payments and the desirability of water fluoridation. Contrary to common assumptions, this sample showed strong support for the introduction of compulsory methods for protecting child health: approximately 90% of respondents favoured car restraint and pool fencing provisions, two-thirds were in favour of linking family benefit payments to routine child health care provisions but less than half were in favour of water fluoridation. The implications of these findings for the introduction of compulsory child health provisions are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1983

The safety standards of domestic swimming pools 1980-1982.

The accessibility and safety standards of domestic swimming pools were studied for a sample of 1118 five-year-old children. Comparison with data collected in 1980 indicated two major trends. First, there has been an increase in the number of children in this birth cohort who had a swimming pool on their property or on a neighbouring property: in 1980 31 percent of children were living on a property with a swimming pool or had neighbours with a swimming pool; in 1982 this figure had risen to 41 percent. Coupled with this increasing number of swimming pools there was a marked decline in pool safety standards. In 1980 one in five pools lacked any safety features whereas in 1982 nearly half of the pools surveyed lacked these features. This situation of an increasing number of domestic pools associated with declining safety standards may be a factor in the increasing number of child drownings in domestic swimming pools in New Zealand. The mothers were also questioned about their attitudes to fencing legislation or by-laws requiring adequate pool fencing and gates. This showed strong support with 86 percent of mothers being in favour of such regulations and only 9 percent declaring disagreement with such a move.

Attitude↗
PubMed1983

Asthma and infant diet.

The relationship of milk diet and solid feeding practices during the first 4 months of life to rates of early childhood asthma was studied prospectively in a birth cohort of 1110 children. The results of the analysis showed no significant association between rates of asthma and breast feeding or solid feeding practices. This was true for children both of asthmatic and non-asthmatic parentage. It is concluded that there is no evidence to indicate that early breast feeding had any detectable effect on the risk of subsequent asthma in this birth cohort. However, the possibility still remains that breast feeding may have a prophylactic effect for children from highly atopic families.

Asthma↗
PubMed1982

The prevalence of illness in a birth cohort.

The prevalence of illness was studied in a birth cohort of Christchurch three-year-olds. By three-years sample members had made an average of 15.9 consultations to general practitioners; 29 percent had been admitted to hospital and 47 percent had made hospital outpatient attendances. The majority of general practitioner consultations involved: respiratory illness; skin rash; gastro-intestinal illness and accidents. Six categories of illness accounted for the majority of hospital admissions: respiratory illness, accidents, feeding and management problems, suspect or inadequate home environment, minor surgical procedures and gastro-intestinal illness. Major reasons for outpatient attendance were: accidents, musculoskeletal problems, respiratory illness, congenital heart murmur and vision problems.

Accidents↗
PubMed1982

Use of preschool dental services in a New Zealand birth cohort.

The utilisation of preschool dental services was examined prospectively in a birth cohort of New Zealand 4-year-old children. There were highly significant associations between non-utilisation of dental care services and a series of measures of family social background and the quality of care provided to the child. Factors associated with increased risks of non-utilisation of dental services included: mother of non-European ethnic origin; low gross family income; single parent family; non-attendance at preschool education facilities; failure to attend community nurse services and a lower utilisation of routine child health care services including immunisations and routine postnatal checks. The implications of the non-utilisation of preschool dental care are discussed in the context of the more general problem of providing an adequate and equitable standard of health care for children.

Child Care↗
PubMed1982

Risk factors in childhood eczema.

The cumulative rate of childhood eczema during the first three years was studied in a birth cohort of 1265 New Zealand infants. A parental history of eczema was the strongest predictor of rates of childhood eczema but parental asthma was also related to childhood eczema. Children exposed to an early diverse solid-food diet also had increased risks of eczema, but there was no evidence to suggest that breast-feeding practices had any effect on rates of eczema. Analysis of the data suggested that the apparent association between exclusive breast-feeding and reduced rates of eczema reported in previous studies may be because exclusively breast-fed infants were not exposed to early solid feeding rather than to any beneficial effect of breast milk itself.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

A controlled field trial of a poisoning prevention method.

A controlled field trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of Mr Yuk labels as a poisoning prevention aid for children aged 2 to 3 years. Comparison of poisoning rates and levels of household hazard in a group of 583 families supplied with Mr Yuk labels and a control group of 543 families not given Mr Yuk labels failed to reveal any significant differences. Consumer reactions to the program were mixed: approximately 60% of users gave a favorable evaluation of the method and 40% either did not use the method or made adverse comments. Examination of the reasons for the failure of the experimental manipulation suggested that three factors were involved: parents failed to provide an adequate coverage of all poisons in the home; a significant number of poisonings occurred with substances that could not be labeled with Mr Yuk; and, in a minority of cases, clear failures of the method were observed. Results of the study do not support the view that simply supplying Mr Yuk stickers to families with young children reduces risks of accidental poisoning. However, the method may be effective with older children or as an adjunct to an integrated poisoning prevention campaign.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed1982

Family life events and behavioral problems in preschool-aged children.

The relationship between family life events and rates of maternal reports of child behavior and child rearing problems was studied in a birth cohort of 1,265 New Zealand preschool-aged children. Mothers experiencing a large number of life events reported higher rates of child rearing problems. The correlation between family life events and child rearing problems persisted when a number of statistical measures of family and social background were taken into account. Possible explanations for the relationship between family life events and maternal reports of child rearing problems are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Life events and childhood morbidity: a prospective study.

The relationship between family life events and rates of childhood morbidity was studied prospectively in a birth cohort of New Zealand children during the period from ages 1 to 4 years. Family life events were associated with increased risk of medical consultation and hospital attendance for illness of the lower respiratory tract, gastroenteritis, accidents, burns, scalds, and accidental poisoning. In addition, children from families experiencing large numbers of life events had an increased risk of hospital admission for suspect or inadequate care. The correlation between life events and rates of child morbidity persisted when a series of measures of family social and economic background was taken into account statistically. Possible explanations of the role of family life events in the development of childhood morbidity are discussed.

Accidents↗
PubMed1981

The safety standards of domestic swimming pools.

The rate of exposure to the hazards of domestic swimming pools was examined for 1143 three-year-old Christchurch children. Just over 11 percent of children lived in homes with a swimming pool. A further 20 percent did not have a pool but there was a pool on an immediately adjacent property. Examination of four safety features for swimming pools suggested there was considerable room for improvement in the safety standards of the pools surveyed: over half did not have a surrounding fence or wall at least a metre high; less than one in five had a surrounding fence with self-closing gate or padlocked gate; just under half had sides more than a metre above ground level; and one pool in five had none of the four safety features. The implications of these findings for the provision of adequate pool safety standards are discussed.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed1981

Maternal satisfaction with primary health care.

Maternal reactions to child health care services were examined for 1143 Christchurch children during the period birth to three years. The majority of mothers were well satisfied with the service provided by their family doctor. Over half the mothers who reported problems with their family doctor did so because of perceived inadequacies in the doctor's management and treatment. Dissatisfaction with the doctor did not vary with maternal social background. Mothers were less satisfied with the Plunket nurse, with 25 percent feeling neutral or dissatisfied. Major areas of conflict between mothers and Plunket nurses concerned feeding regimes and weight gains. Dissatisfaction with the Plunket nurse was most common amongst young mothers and single mothers. While 24 percent of mothers would have liked some reduction in medical consultation fees for children, by a small majority mothers were opposed to or neutral about free medical consultations for children. A large majority of mothers favoured some form of compulsory system of routine child health care.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Birth placement and child health.

The standards of health and health care for a sample of 1265 Christchurch children during the period birth to three years were examined. There was a systematic tendency for levels of health care and morbidity to vary with the child's birth placement: in general adopted children had the best standard of health care and the lowest rates of morbidity; children who entered single parent families at birth had the poorest standards of health care and the highest rates of morbidity. Statistical control for family social background including maternal age, education, ethnic status, family size and changes of residence tended to reduce the size of the observed differences. However, even when the results were controlled for these factors children in single parent families still has depressed levels of preventive health care and higher rates of hospital admission. Possible explanations of the differences are discussed.

Adoption↗