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Temporal Trends in Incidence and Long-Term Care Fatality of Stroke Among Children from 1994 to 2007
Stroke is one of the 10 leading causes of death for children, but little current information exists about long-term mortality from pediatric stroke in the United States. This article examines incidence and fatality rates of pediatric stroke in New Jersey from 1994 through 2007.
The authors cross-referenced data from the Myocardial Infarction Data Acquisition System Database with New Jersey death registration files at intervals of one month, one year, and five years following the index stroke. The data were analyzed for changes in incidence over time.
Key Findings:
- Between 1994 and 2007, 715 children were hospitalized with a first-time stroke. The fatality rate for pediatric stroke was 17.5 percent at five years following the initial stroke. Hemorrhagic strokes had significantly worse outcomes than ischemic strokes.
- The incidence of pediatric stroke was lowest between 1999 and 2001 and has increased in recent years for reasons that are not yet well understood.
This research provides an overview of pediatric stroke at a statewide level. Further research may shed light on the increased incidence of pediatric stroke between 2001 and 2007.