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Aim: This population-based study explored whether foster children faced a higher risk of health problems than children of the same age who were not in foster care.Methods: Data for 13 739 pupils aged 10, 13 and 16 years were obtained from the Pupil Health Database in the county of Värmland, Sweden, for the school years 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. These included data on school performance, health, lifestyle and social relationships, based on children's interviews with school nurses.Results: Of all the pupils, 171 (1.2%) were in foster care. Children in foster care were generally unhealthier than other children. Both girls and boys were at higher risk of chronic health problems, daily smoking, use of drugs and school failure. When the girls in foster care were compared to other girls, we found that they faced a higher risk of psychological and psychosomatic symptoms. This difference was not found for boys. Foster children were also more likely to express a more negative view on life.Conclusion: We confirmed earlier studies that children in foster care tended to have inferior health and well-being than other children. These findings emphasise that health, risky behaviour and school performance should be considered together when assessing foster children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative analysis was conducted to identify and compare the health status and behaviors of preschoolers attending daycare centers in South Korea between children living with parents and those under guardianship. Design: The study design was descriptive and correlational. Sample: Data were collected from 152 parents and 85 guardians of preschool children using a structured questionnaire. Results: Of 237 children, 23.9–32.5% were overweight or obese, while 13.8–30.0% were underweight. Boys under guardianship were more likely to be obese. Hand-foot-mouth disease and atopic dermatitis were more prevalent among children living with parents, while those under guardianship were less likely to have dentistry visits, more likely to be absent from childcare due to pneumonia, and had significantly fewer health-related conversations with their guardians. In relation to health behaviors, the frequency of tooth-brushing and high-calcium food consumption was significantly lower among children under guardianship than among those living with parents. Conclusion: Compared with children living with parents, those under guardianship were exposed to unfavorable circumstances in terms of health management practices and health behaviors, which implies that the guardians were less interested in health care and dealt inappropriately with the health problems of their foster children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyse the importance of mothers' smoking during pregnancy and/or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure in early childhood for children's health and well-being at the age of 3 years. Methods: Four groups from a population based cohort (n = 8850) were compared: children with nonsmoking mother during pregnancy and nonsmoking parents at the age of 3 years (n = 7091); children with only foetal exposure (n = 149); children exposed only postnatally (n = 895) and children exposed both pre- and postnatally (n = 595). Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: Children exposed both pre- and postnatally had more wheezing (1.14; 1.07–1.21) and rhinitis (1.16; 1.06–1.26), used more cough-mixture (1.07; 1.01–1.14) and broncodilatating drugs (1.08; 1.02–1.15) and suffered more from excessive crying (1.31; 1.13–1.51) and irritability (1.27; 1.09–1.48) compared to children with nonsmoking parents. Children exposed only postnatally had more rhinitis (1.24; 1.12–1.37), used more cough-mixture (1.14; 1.05–1.29) and suffered more from poor sleep (1.26; 1.07–1.47) than children of nonsmoking parents. Children with prenatal exposure only used more broncodilatating drugs (1.45; 1.03–2.04) and suffered more from poor sleep (2.06; 1.09–3.87). Conclusion: Health differences, small but significant, indicate that prenatal and/or postnatal ETS exposure alone, or in combination, seems to interfere with child health, supporting the importance of zero tolerance. However, as most smoking parents in Sweden try to protect their children from ETS exposure, the results also might indicate that protective measures are worthwhile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Several studies have questioned the rationality of repeated routine health examinations by physicians during the first years of life. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the population-based 18-month health examination and compare the yield of new health problems identified by physicians in 1994 with the yield identified by child health centre (CHC) nurses in 2000. Methods Two populations of children were invited to their 18-month health examination during one year, the first in 1994 and the second in 2000. In 1994 the population consisted of 4075 and in 2000 of 2968 children who were registered in Uppsala county, Sweden, for census purposes in December 31 each year. Data from a county health register as well as child health records and information regarding referrals were analysed to categorize the health problems by type, severity and action taken. Results On the whole few new verified health problems were detected by the health examinations at the 18 month health examinations: 2.3% in 1994 and 1.7% in 2000. In 1994, when the physicians carried out the examinations, the most common health problems were somatic problems, particularly moderate transient infections. In 2000, when the nurses carried out the examinations, the dominant problems were speech problems. Peculiarly enough a couple of children with the same severe health problems, gluten allergy and problems in the autistic spectrum, were identified both in 1994 and in 2000. In addition the nurses in 2000 identified seven children with severe speech problems. No additional severe health problems were identified by the physicians in 1994. Conclusions According to the present study, there is no evidence that health examinations carried out by nurses are of lower quality in detecting health problems than those carried out by physicians. The organization and content of the health surveillance programme ought to be reconsidered with respect to available resources and importance of the close relationship established between nurse and family already in the newborn period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]