Noij Lieke C E, Lap Coen R, Luijten Michiel A J, Hashimoto Simone, Teela Lorynn, Oostrom Kim J, Alsem Mattijs W, van Houten Marlies A, Biesbroek Giske, Haverman Lotte, Maitland-van der Zee Anke H, van Goudoever Johannes B, Terheggen-Lagro Suzanne W J
Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy, Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Commun Med (Lond). 2025 Jul 3;5(1):271. doi: 10.1038/s43856-025-00947-y.
Pediatric Long COVID (PLC) is a heterogeneous condition, which can have a substantial impact on daily life of children and adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate health related quality of life (HRQoL), and mental and social health of children with PLC, in relation to children with other chronic health conditions (CHC) and from the general population (GP) during the pandemic.
Dutch children (8-18 years) with PLC (n = 106, 31% male) were included between May 2021 and March 2023. Reference data was available from a CHC-cohort (n = 90, 56% male) and GP-cohort (n = 844, 47% male) during the first wave of the pandemic (April-May, 2020). Participants completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instruments (Anxiety, Anger, Depressive symptoms, Sleep-Related Impairment (SRI), and Peer Relationships). Mean scores were analyzed using adjusted ANCOVA. Relative risks (RR (95% CI)) were calculated for impaired HRQoL and severe PROMIS scores.
Children with PLC report high proportions of impaired HRQoL (84%, RR = 3.67 (2.35-5.74)), and have significantly lower PedsQL scores than children with CHC. Children with PLC also exhibit worse PROMIS T-scores of Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms, and SRI than children from the CHC- and GP-cohorts (mean difference range 2.2-9.8 (95%CI 0.6-11.7)), and significantly higher risks of severe anxiety (17%), depressive symptoms (18%), and SRI (17%).
PLC can severely impact HRQoL and mental and social health in children. Screening of these outcomes and individualized management of children with PLC should be a vital part of clinical care for these highly burdened patients.
儿童长期新冠（PLC）是一种异质性疾病，会对儿童和青少年的日常生活产生重大影响。本研究旨在评估疫情期间PLC患儿的健康相关生活质量（HRQoL）以及心理和社会健康状况，并与其他慢性健康状况（CHC）患儿及普通人群（GP）进行比较。
纳入2021年5月至2023年3月期间的荷兰PLC患儿（8 - 18岁，n = 106，男性占31%）。参考数据来自疫情第一波期间（2020年4 - 5月）的CHC队列（n = 90，男性占56%）和GP队列（n = 844，男性占47%）。参与者完成了儿童生活质量量表（PedsQL）4.0和患者报告结局测量信息系统（PROMIS）工具（焦虑、愤怒、抑郁症状、睡眠相关障碍（SRI）和同伴关系）。使用调整后的协方差分析对平均得分进行分析。计算HRQoL受损和PROMIS严重得分的相对风险（RR（95%CI））。
PLC患儿报告HRQoL受损的比例很高（84%，RR = 3.67（2.35 - 5.74）），且其PedsQL得分显著低于CHC患儿。PLC患儿的焦虑、抑郁症状和SRI的PROMIS T得分也比CHC队列和GP队列的患儿更差（平均差异范围为2.2 - 9.8（95%CI 0.6 - 11.7）），严重焦虑（17%）、抑郁症状（18%）和SRI（17%）的风险显著更高。
PLC会严重影响儿童的HRQoL以及心理和社会健康。对这些结局进行筛查并对PLC患儿进行个体化管理应成为这些负担沉重患者临床护理的重要组成部分。
