Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ONE IN SIX three year olds in Ireland have a serious longstanding health condition according to a report from The Institute of Public Health in Ireland.
IPH Director of Research, Professor Kevin Balanda, said five common serious conditions were reported by carers, including:
“A longstanding illness, condition or disability, diagnosed asthma or asthma symptoms, diagnosed eczema / skin allergy, sight problems that required correction and hearing problems that required correction.
Children with these conditions can have poorer quality of life, poorer social and emotional development, and poorer educational achievement.
The study found that 15.8% of three-year-olds in Ireland – about 11,000 children – have at least one of these conditions.
It established that boys are 50% more likely than girls to have such conditions and children in the lowest socio-economic households are 50% more likely than those in other households to have such a condition.
It also found that children whose primary carer is ill are over 100% more likely than those with well primary carers to have a longstanding condition.
The study says that children born with low birth weight are 70% more likely than other children to have sight problems, while children whose mother smoked during pregnancy are 50% more likely than other children.
Breakdown
IPH Research Analyst Mr Steve Barron set out some of the more detailed findings:
· 9.5% (about 6,600) have diagnosed asthma or asthma symptoms
· 4.0% (about 2,800) have diagnosed eczema/skin allergy
· 5.9% (about 4,100) have ever had a sight problem that required correction
· 3.9% (about 2,700) have ever had a hearing problem that required correction
The Minister for Health, Dr Leo Varadkar TD, said:
“Helping parents and health professionals to be more familiar with the characteristics that place children at higher risk of longstanding conditions will improve the chances of prevention or early detection and intervention.
“Many of these characteristics can be changed and they offer a focus for policy and service interventions to reduce risk factors and improve the lives of children and their families.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The United way sky one tonight or tomorrow at 10:00, check the listings
@Richard Cronin: The United Way is excellent
@Richard Cronin: it’s on tomorrow night at 10pm. Thanks for that.
@Richard Cronin: Tomorrow night
@Joe Johnson: 10pm
@David O Brien: I had goosebumps watching it… It’s magnificent.
Snatched is watchable would be better if Amy Schumer wasnt in it she is the female Steve Martin terrible
@john malonoy: how dare you speak ill of steve martin
@john malonoy: Steve Martin was great but kina lost it after ‘LA Story…’
@john malonoy: I feel she’s type cast too much, good acting, but she’s just forced into the same character all the time!
@Karl Mc Cauley: Agreed.
Some brilliant documentaries around at the moment, thank you Sky for the brilliant channel Sky Documentaries, definitely made sitting in night after night a bit easier. Probably showing my age here, but did anyone watch gods of snooker on the Beeb, for anyone with any interest in snooker, it’s a must watch.
have your say