Aim
This study evaluated the introduction of rotavirus vaccination in Jönköping County, Sweden, starting in 2014. This project explored the parental factors that influenced the decision to vaccinate and studied the obtained vaccination coverage and its potential influence on hospital admissions due to acute gastroenteritis.
Methods
This was a descriptive, cross‐sectional study based on a study‐specific questionnaire (n = 356) and regional statistical data on vaccination coverage and hospital admissions in Jönköping County, Sweden.
Results
Central aspects when deciding on vaccination were vaccine efficacy and safety, that the vaccine was offered to all children, and recommended by healthcare professionals. One in five parents expressed uncertainty about whether they had sufficient information to make a decision. However, the rotavirus vaccination coverage was elevated from 76.1% to 81.0% and the hospital admissions due to acute gastroenteritis decreased by approximately 60%.
Conclusion
The results highlight the necessity for Child Health Services to have solid knowledge regarding vaccinations, to understand individual parental issues and to support uncertain parents. The high vaccination coverage achieved is an indication of the trust in healthcare professionals and is considered to be a major contributing factor to the substantial reduction of hospital admissions due to acute gastroenteritis.
Background: Maternal prepregnancy obesity (Body Mass Index, BMI>30 kg/m 2 ) and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) have shown a strong positive association with a higher BMI and risk of obesity in the offspring. The aim of this study is to estimate the effect of a GWG restriction program for obese pregnant women on the children's BMI at 5 years of age and weight-forlength/height (WL/H) development from two months of age until 5 years of age.Methods: This was a follow-up study of 302 children (137 children in an intervention group and 165 children in a control group) whose mothers participated in a weight gain restriction program during pregnancy.Results: BMI at five years of age did not differ between girls and boys in the intervention-and control group. The degree of maternal GWG, <7 kg or >7 kg, did not affect the offspring's WL/H. Compared with Swedish reference data just over half of the children in both the intervention-and control group had a BMI within the average range, whereas slightly more than one-third of the children had a higher BMI.
Conclusion:Despite a comprehensive gestational intervention program for obese women, containing individual weekly visits and opportunity to participate in aqua aerobic classes, there were no differences between BMI or weight development among the offspring at 5 years of age in the intervention-and control group.
Maternal pre-conceptional lifestyle change may have a positive effect on the child's weight development during the five first years of age. However, the effect of participation in an extensive GWG restriction program when it comes to the impact on the offspring's weight development is still unclear and further research is required.
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