Incidence of intussusception in children less than 2 years

Abstract EN

Background : Surveillance of baseline incidence of intussusception (IS) in children less than 2 years of age is important for the safety monitoring of second-generation rotavirus vaccines.

Objective : To estimate the incidence of IS in children aged less than two years, before the implementation of rotavirus vaccination as part of the routine immunization program in Bahrain.

Setting : Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), Kingdom of Bahrain.

Design : Retrospective Study.

Method : Children aged < 2 years with definite IS were identified by daily reviews of the medical records at Salmaniya Medical Complex.

The annual incidence of IS was calculated for children aged < 1 year and 1−2 years, using the number of subjects with definite IS residing in the study area as numerator and the study area population aged < 1 year and 1−2 years, respectively, as the denominator.

Result : Twenty-one children, 10 males and 11 females, were diagnosed with definite IS (2004−2006).

The incidence of IS ranged from 35.4-56.3 per 100,000 children aged < 1 year and from 6.7-21.7 per 100, 000 in children aged 1−2 years (overall 23.4-39.2 per 100, 000 children aged < 2 years).

Sixteen (76.2 %) IS cases occurred in children aged < 1 year ; incidence peaked between 5−8 months of age.

IS cases demonstrated no seasonality.

Twenty (95.2 %) children had abdominal pain and 17 (81 %) had vomiting.

No deaths were reported.

Conclusion : Incidence of IS in Bahrain reveals a decreasing trend from 2004 to 2006.

The incidence was high in the first year of life.

These baseline data on IS incidence will facilitate the risk / benefit assessment of rotavirus vaccination once it is routinely used for immunizing infants in Bahrain.