Children’s respiratory infections can last up to three weeks
Children’s respiratory infection symptoms, including runny nose, dry cough and sore throat, can seem never-ending. Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care have found that it can take up to three weeks for 90 per cent of children’s respiratory infection symptoms to resolve, with one in 12 parents seeking help from their GP.
The researchers used a novel online study design to follow 485 children in 331 families in Bristol as they fell ill with respiratory infections. It took 23 days for 90 per cent of children to recover. Overall, the average duration of symptoms was nine days.
For children three years or younger, symptoms lasted on average 11 days compared to seven days for older children. Among children with only upper respiratory symptoms, the most persistent was runny nose, while the fastest symptom to resolve was earache.
The findings will be useful to GPs and public health professionals when advising parents when to consult, and may help reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.
Professor Alastair Hay from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care said: “It can be difficult for parents to know when to consult their GP when their child has respiratory infection symptoms. These findings could help support them in knowing when to seek help. Also, this is one of only a few studies to measure respiratory infection symptoms and subsequent consulting rates as they arise in the community. This gives us a more accurate estimate of how likely parents are to consult their GP. Future research may use this evidence for interventions that will help parents know if and when to consult, which could help prevent unnecessary health service and antibiotic use.”
About the Centre for Academic Primary Care The Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol is a leading centre for primary care research in the UK, one of nine forming the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. It sits within Bristol Medical School, an internationally recognised centre of excellence for population health research and teaching. Follow us on Twitter: @capcbristol.
About the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation of Interventions The Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Evaluation of Interventions, based in Population Health Sciences at the University of Bristol, is part of the National Institute for Health Research and a partnership between University of Bristol and Public Health England (PHE), in collaboration with University College London, Cambridge MRC Biostatistics Unit and University of the West of England. We are a multidisciplinary team undertaking applied research on the development and evaluation of interventions to protect the public’s health. Our aim is to support PHE in delivering its objectives and functions. Our focus is on the PHE priority area of infection. Follow us on Twitter: @HPRU_EI.
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