@article{ref1,
title="[WITHDRAWN BY AUTHORS] COVID-19 related acute decline in paediatric admissions in Malta, a population-based study",
journal="Early human development",
year="2020",
author="Degiorgio, Sophie and Grech, Neil and Dimech, Yana Marie and Xuereb, John and Grech, Victor",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="[[This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.]]  <span style=&quot;color:white&quot;>BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated non-pandemic hospital admissions worldwide. This population-based study was carried out in order to ascertain whether there were any differences in numbers or characteristics of acute paediatric medical admissions during the first wave of COVID-19 in Malta compared with the corresponding 2019 period.   METHODS: Data was collected from Maltas only acute general hospital using health records and computer databases including iSoft Clinical Manager (ICM) and Electronic Case Summaries (ECS). Data was collected for 1/3-9/5/2019 (control period) and the corresponding 2020 period (study period).   RESULTS: Acute paediatric medical admissions dropped by 63.5%. Neonates increased by 5.25% (p = 0.001). An increase in child abuse/social paediatric cases (p < 0.001) was noted. Data analysed after school closure revealed a significant drop in the number of communicable (infectious) disease admissions (p < 0.001). There was also a negative correlation between daily paediatric admissions and active COVID-19 cases in Malta (p = 0.005). No significant delay in the presentation of patients was noted and no increased admissions to the NPICU was recorded.   CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate a decrease in paediatric illnesses due to school closures, possibly exacerbated by fear of contracting COVID-19 in hospital environments. Public health measures to alleviate guardians' concerns are important to decrease further potential avoidable consequences from the ongoing pandemic.</span><p /> <p> <span style=&quot;color:white&quot;>Language: en</span></p>",
language="en",
issn="0378-3782",
doi="10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105251",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105251"
}