Needless to say, all children will likely have many different health conditions during infancy and childhood. For most children these health problems are mild thus they do not interfere with their everyday lives and development (Cohen et al., 2011). The conditions come and go. Unfortunately, for some children, the chronic health conditions affect their quality of life and calls for lots of hospitalization. Children with chronic health conditions present differently. Some are well while others are ill. It is worth pausing to note that learning to live with a chronic condition can be very challenging ranging from the affected children to the family members. This paper seeks to look into the chronic illnesses in children aged between 2 and 13 years. Under this topic, the paper will give the number of children affected by the chronic illnesses, the number of those who die and the top ten major chronic illnesses affecting these children. In conclusion, the paper will give the magnitude of the problem in the medical field and the total sum of money spent of these conditions. The number of children with chronic illnesses: 2-13years …show more content…
The rate of chronic conditions among the children in this age group has been increasing since 1970. According to a 2010 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association the rate of chronic illnesses increased from 12.8% in 1994 to 26.6% in 2006 (Alwan et al., 2010). Currently there are 32 million children aged 2-13 years with chronic illnesses. For example, presently, 6.7 million children are diagnosed with asthma, and 7.3 million have allergies. According to the center for disease control, 1 in 6 children have a neurological disorder, 1 in 4 have a diagnosis of diabetes or pre- diabetes while 9 million have obesity and 1 in 110 children have autism (Cohen et al., 2011). The incidence of autism in North Carolina is 1 in
As a pediatric hospitalist, there are a wide range of duties that must be completed for the safety and well-being of one’s patients. A duty amongst all physicians is caring for a patient’s illnesses. As a pediatrician, one must be involved in the physical, mental, and emotional upbringing of adolescents throughout every stage of development in good health as well as in illness. A pediatrician takes care of a child from a few weeks after birth to the age of twenty-one when the patient transfers to a new physician. The duties designated to all pediatricians is to reduce infant and child mortality rates, control diseases, make sure patients lead well-maintained lifestyles, and make easier the lives of children and adolescents with chronic conditions. Becoming a pediatrician would improve the lives of many children.
Berkowitz, Carol. American Academy of Pediatrics: Dedicated to the Health of all Children. American Academy of Pediatrics. 8 Dec. 2004
Autism’s most obvious signs tend to appear between ages 2-3 years old. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is at neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and lasts throughout your life. The centers for disease and prevention (CDC) estimates autism's prevalence as 1 in 68 children in the United States. This includes 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls. An estimated 50,000 teens with autism become adults. Around one third of people with autism are nonverbal. Around one third of people with autism have an intellectual disability. Certain medical and mental health issues frequently accompany the autism. They include seizures,
health and medical care for children from infancy through the late teen years. Moreover, they
Pediatrics is a 200 year old specialty, medical writings from ancient times included diseases in children from smallpox to the hygienes of caring for a baby.Children became the focus of different healthcare by the 18th century in Europe. Children’s healthcare became medically recognized in the early 19th century. In the 19th century pediatrics were taught separately in medical schools this became one of the major breakthroughs in the pediatric specialty. Pediatric care originated in Germany/France,the first organization was known as the “Society for Infant Therapeutic”
In conclusion, health issues are worried about all throughout a human’s lifespan. We cannot help, but wonder why these illnesses must continue to hurt the ones that we love. However, it helps for people to know and understand the types of illnesses that their loved ones could be faced with within their lifetimes. In this essay, you were informed of a few different types of health issues that occur through the eight different stages of a human’s
Do you know there is a medically diagnosed disorder that affects over two American children?” Experts on the subject say there are many more undiscovered cases out there and the cause is still unknown. It sounds like we have a really big problem. The thing is, the disorder that affects all these children, isn’t a disorder at all.
The prevalence of ASD ranges between 3.3 and 10.6 for every 1000 children with a general mean prevalence of 6.6 per 1000 children. There is significant higher prevalence among white non-Hispanic kids compared with black non-Hispanic kids (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007). The male-to-female ratio varies from 3.4 to 6.5 boys per 1 girl. The population of children who are diagnosed with autism continues to rise significantly with statistics from the United States Department of Health indicating the number of children diagnosed with autism growing at a rate of 20% annually in America. Additionally, one in every a hundred and seventy five 175 elementary learners is diagnosed with autism (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2007).
As the prevalence of Autism continues to grow rapidly, it is proven fact that Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the United States. “On March 27, 2014, this surveillance study identified one in sixty-eight children (one in forty-two boys and one in one-hundred eighty-nine girls) as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).” (DSM-IV, 2000). Eight-hundred thousand people younger than eighteen years are on record as having Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States. Most children display abnormalities within the first year of life; although most are diagnosed with Autism between the ages of two and three. Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have Autism. However, females with the disorder are more feasible to exhibit serious mental retardation. There are “approximately seventy-five percent of children with Autism are mentally handicapped; meaning their IQ ranges from thirty-five to fifty. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV, 2000) research suggests that only a small percentage of individuals with Autistic Disorder go on as adults to live and work independently.” ( DSM-IV, 2000)
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder of the brain that severely impacts socialization, communication, and may even cause obsessive or repetitive behaviors. Autism delays the brain's normal development, and is also correlated with a milder form of the syndrome known as a pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-N OS). Since it was first identified in 1943, there has been increasing rate in new diagnoses each year. Muhle, Trenracoste, and Rapin (2004) found that the rate of diagnosis for Autism has risen 556% between the years of 1991 and 1997. Many feel that this increase is due to a shifting of diagnostic criteria, or newer defining characteristics of the syndrome. The expansion of the diagnostic criteria also indirectly relates to the increase of services provided for Autistic children, therefore increasing the shift. Because of this increase of diagnoses, more awareness has been brought to pediatricians, further increasing the rate in which Autism is diagnosed ("Autism," 2010). Glasson et al. (2004) found that the frequency in which the disorder is diagnosed has risen to almost 60 per 10000 people. Another factor in the increase of the diagnosis of Autism is that children are being diagnosed at a much earlier age. Parents are identifying problematic behaviors earlier in a child's life, sometimes as early as 8 months of age (Bristol-Power & Spinella 1999).
In the United States, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that between 1 in 80 and 1 in 240, for an average of 1 in 110 children have an autism spectrum disorder, “ASD” (Nirv, Shah 2011). According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, up to six out of every 1,000 children may be diagnosed with some form of autism. In addition, boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism. This means that as many as 1.5 million Americans today are believed to have some form of autism. Unfortunately, the numbers appear to be increasing rapidly. Autism is a disability that frequently appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the functioning of the brain and impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills (Bee & Boyd, 2009). It is the most prevalent developmental disorder to date. Autism is one of five disorders coming under the umbrella of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a category of neurological disorders characterized by "severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development," including social interaction and communications skills (Zager, 2006). The etiology of autism is a topic of controversial debate, while researchers strive to achieve a common objective. The goal is to identify the cause of autism to understand the complex interplay between environment and gene regulation (NCBI, 2009). Although individuals with autism have existed for many centuries it was not recognized and labeled until mid 20th century. Therefore, early detection, intervention and an individual educational plan are essentials for the progress of ASD.
The uncertain nature of chronic illness takes many forms, but all are long-term and cannot be cured. The nature of chronic illness raises hesitation. It can disturb anyone, irrespective of demographics or traditions. It fluctuates lives and generates various inquiries for the patient. Chronic illness few clear features involve: long-lasting; can be managed but not cured; impacts quality of life; and contribute to stress. Chronic illnesses can be enigmatic. They often take considerable time to identify, they are imperceptible and often carry a stigma because there is little sympathetic or social support. Many patients receive inconsistent diagnoses at first and treatments
In the United States, autism may affect up to 115,000 children between one and 15 years of age with an uncertain prevalence in adults (Rapin, 1998). Because of the high number of cases in the United States alone, testing has grown and encompasses many different ages and areas of autistic patients and their symptoms. Because of increased testing, researchers have found different options to meet the challenges autism presents.
... the context of chronic illness: a family health promoting process. Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronis Illness 3, (3), 283-92.
Every day, physicians called pediatricians are helping and treating children’s illnesses and making sure they are healthy. Dr. Ananya Mandel describes pediatrics “as the branch of medicine dealing with the health and medical care of infants, children and adolescents from birth up to the age of 18” (Ananya l). Pediatricians work with children and care about their health. Without pediatricians, children wouldn’t receive special treatment, which is highly necessary since caring for children’s health is not the same as adult care. Although being a pediatrician is very time consuming and can be emotional, it is a rewarding and interesting career.