title: Morbidity and Health Care Costs After Early Term Birth.
abstract: Early term birth is associated with increased need for hospital care during the early postnatal period. The objective of this study was to assess the morbidity and health care-related costs during the first 3 years of life in children born early term.
  
  
  
  Data come from a population-based birth cohort study in the municipalities of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa, Finland using data from the national medical birth register and outpatient, inpatient, and primary care registers. All surviving infants born in 2006-08 (n = 29 970) were included. The main outcome measures were morbidities, based on ICD-10 codes recorded during inpatient and outpatient hospital visits, and health care costs, based on all care received, including well child visits (specialised care, primary care, private care, and medications).
  
  
  
  7.0% of children born full term had at least one of the studied morbidities by 3 years of age. This percentage was significantly higher in children born early term: 8.6% (adjusted odds ratio 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1, 1.4). The increased morbidity of children born early term was attributed to obstructive airway diseases and ophthalmological and motor problems. Health care-related costs during the first 3 years of life were 4813€ (95% CI 4385, 5241) per child in the early term group, higher than for full term children 4047€ (95% CI 3884, 4210).
  
  
  
  Infants born early term have increased morbidity and higher health care-related costs during early childhood than full term infants. Early term birth seems to be associated with a health disadvantage.
authors: Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Stanford University School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford, CA.|Centre for Health and Social Economics, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Emmi
authors: E
authors: Helle
authors: Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Sture
authors: S
authors: Andersson
authors: Centre for Health and Social Economics, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Unto
authors: U
authors: Häkkinen
authors: Information Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Jutta
authors: J
authors: Järvelin
authors: Statistics Finland, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Janne
authors: J
authors: Eskelinen
authors: Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
authors: Eero
authors: E
authors: Kajantie
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000191:economics; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D009017:Morbidity; D018743:Perinatal Care / Q000191:economics; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics; D012042:Registries
keywords: Early Term Birth; Health Care Costs; Hospitalization; Morbidity