Disparities in Health Supervision for Children With Down Syndrome
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Katie B Williams; David S. Wargowski; Jens C. Eickhoff; Ellen R. Wald
- Source
- Clinical Pediatrics. 56:1319-1327
- Subject
- Adult
Male
0301 basic medicine
medicine.medical_specialty
Down syndrome
Pediatrics
Adolescent
Eye disease
030105 genetics & heredity
Young Adult
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
030225 pediatrics
Health care
medicine
Humans
Healthcare Disparities
Child
Retrospective Studies
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
Thyroid disease
Infant, Newborn
Infant
Complete blood count
medicine.disease
Health equity
Otorhinolaryngology
Child, Preschool
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Female
Guideline Adherence
Down Syndrome
Thyroid function
business
- Language
- ISSN
- 1938-2707
0009-9228
Increasing evidence suggests children with Down syndrome do not receive recommended health care services. We retrospectively assessed adherence to the 2001 American Academy of Pediatrics health supervision guidelines for 124 children with Down syndrome. Cervical spine radiographs were completed for 94% of children, often preoperatively. Adherence to complete blood count recommendations was 55% (95% CI 44% to 66%); lower for males ( P = .01) and children with private medical insurance ( P = .04). Adherence to thyroid function recommendations was 61% (95% CI 54% to 67%); higher for children seen by a pediatrician ( P = .002) and with known thyroid disease ( P < .0001). Adherence to audiology and ophthalmology recommendations was 33% (95% CI 27% to 40%) and 43% (95% CI 37% to 50%), respectively. Adherence rates were higher for children referred to an otolaryngologist ( P = .0002) and with known eye disease ( P < .0001). Future efforts should identify barriers to care and improve adherence to recommended screening.