TRENDS IN HOSPITALIZATION AMONG ASTHMATIC-CHILDREN IN FINLAND FROM 1972 TO 1986

Trends in hospitalization among asthmatic children were examined over a period of 15 years on the basis of a hospital discharge register cov ering all hospitals in Finland. The annual mean population under 15 ye ars of age, 992994, had a total of 37965 hospitalization periods on ac count of asthma during the interval studied. Examination in 5 year age groups showed treatment periods for boys under 5 years to have increa sed by 1.8% annually relative to the total population (95% confidence interval + 0.6 - + 3.1) and those for girls by 2.2% (95% CI + 0.7 - 3.7), whereas the changes in the older age groups were insignificant. First admissions decreased annually in all age groups in the case of b oth boys and girls. The numbers of hospitalization periods due to asth ma were significantly higher for boys than for girls. The use of hospi tal services by asthmatic children was appropriate during the period c oncerned, which may partly be explained by the fact that child health care is well organized in Finland and the treatment of childhood asthm a entirely in the hands of paediatricians.