Childhood predictors of adult medically unexplained hospitalisations - Results from a national birth cohort study

Background It has been suggested that adults with medically unexplained phy sical symptoms experienced greater ill-health then others (either in themse lves or their families) during childhood. Aims To test these hypotheses. Method We used data from the Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development, a population-based cohort study established in 1946 (n = 5362). Subjects were followed from birth in 1946 until 1989 (age 43 years). As outcome, we used operationally defined medically unexplained hospital admissions at age 15-43 years. Exposure variables included childho od illness, and illness in parents during the childhood of the subjects. Results The risk set(n = 4603) comprised individuals still in the Survey at age 15. Ninety-five unexplained hospital admissions were identified. Subje cts whose mothers reported below-average health in the father were at incre ased risk of subsequent unexplained admissions. Below average reported heal th in the mother was not associated with this increased risk. Defined physi cal diseases in childhood were not associated. but persistent abdominal pai n at age 7-15 years was. Conclusions Unexplained hospital admissions are associated with certain chi ldhood experiences of illness, but defined physical illness in childhood is not a risk factor.