Hospitalizations of children who have fetal alcohol syndrome or incomplete fetal alcohol syndrome.

INTRODUCTION

The study describes the hospitalization rates and medical diagnoses of children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and incomplete FAS.

METHODS

Two retrospective case-control studies were conducted of Northern Plains American Indian children with FAS or incomplete FAS identified from 1981-93 by using the ICD-9-CM code 760.71. Children who had FAS or incomplete FAS were compared to each other and to children who did not have FAS.

RESULTS

Compared to the controls, the 43 children with FAS (Study 1) and 35 children with incomplete FAS (Study 2) were hospitalized more often with otitis media (51.2 percent OR=4.32 and 31.4 percent OR=3.02 respectively), pneumonia (46.5 percent OR=4.21 and 34.3 percent OR=2.54), fetal alcohol syndrome (32.6 percent p=.001 and 14.3 percent p=.007), dehydration (23.3 percent OR=9.29 and 17.1 percent OR=4), and anemia (11.6 percent OR=10 and 17.1 percent p=.002) respectively. Children with FAS were hospitalized more often with failure to thrive (32.6 percent p=.001) and neglect (23.3 percent OR=10.0) than children with incomplete FAS and controls. Children with FAS were hospitalized with child sexual abuse (11.6 percent OR=10.0) and feeding problems (11.6 percent p=.007), and children with incomplete FAS were hospitalized with gastroenteritis (22.9 percent OR=14.55) and bronchitis (22.9 percent OR=3.0) more than control children.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with FAS or incomplete FAS had more hospitalizations and longer average length of stays than control children.