Childhood hand, foot and mouth disease sequelae cohort study in Henan, China: cohort profile

• Published in: BMJ open 2025-01, Vol.15 (1), p.e083958
• Main Authors: Chen, Yu, Ji, Wangquan, Duan, Guangcai, Feng, Huifen, Zhang, Yaodong, Chen, Shouhang, Li, Zhi, Shen, Yuanfang, Wang, Chenyu, Zheng, Jiaying, Tao, Ling, Feng, Demin, Liu, Wenyi, Sui, Meili, Zhang, Chao, Yang, Haiyan, Chen, Shuaiyin, Long, Jinzhao, Liu, Fang, Wang, Zhuangzhuang, Wang, Qingmei, Han, Shujuan, Dai, Bowen, Dang, Dejian, Li, Xiaolong, Zhu, Peiyu, Li, Zijie, Li, Kang, Li, Dong, Li, Shuang, Li, Guowei, Wang, Fang, Jin, Yuefei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety disorders; Asthma; Child; Child & adolescent mental health; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; China - epidemiology; Cohort analysis; Cohort Profile; Encephalitis; Encephalomyelitis; EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES; Epidemiology; Female; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease - epidemiology; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Hospitals; Humans; Infant; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; Language; Male; Medical diagnosis; Meningitis; Mental disorders; Nervous system; PAEDIATRICS; Patients; Pediatrics; Prospective Studies; Public health; Retrospective Studies; Speech
• ISSN: 2044-6055; 2044-6055
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-083958

PurposeThe childhood hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) sequelae cohort study (HNHFMDCS) is an ambispective cohort study of patients with HFMD based in Henan Province, China, consisting of patients treated in a key hospital for the diagnosis and treatment of HFMD in Henan Province. The study aims to investigate the long-term sequelae of HFMD survivors and to provide a comprehensive understanding of the potential harm caused by this infectious disease.ParticipantsIn the retrospective phase of the cohort study, children diagnosed with HFMD from January 2014 to January 2023 were included, and clinical and demographic information about the patients was collected through a self-developed questionnaire. Patients hospitalised with HFMD since January 2023 were enrolled in the prospective cohort phase of the study, and long-term follow-up will be performed after completion of the baseline investigation (interview and comprehensive physical examination), clinical laboratory examination and biospecimen collection.Findings to dateFor the retrospective analysis of the cohort, a total of 18 705 HFMD cases (11 834 males and 6871 females) were observed between 2014 and 2022, of which 17 202 were mild cases (10 839 males and 6363 females) and 1503 were severe cases (995 males and 508 females). Statistical analysis was performed on the collected clinical examination data, and descriptive statistical methods, including mean value, SD and t-test, were used to compare the intergroup data. All tests were bilateral, and p