PROFILE OF HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS IN CHILDREN UNDER 10 YEARS OF AGE IN BRAZIL FROM 2021 TO 2024

Abstract

Pediatric hospitalization significantly impacts children and their families, interrupting activities essential to child development and causing emotional repercussions, in addition to reducing quality of life and generating high costs for health systems. This study analyzed the epidemiological profile of hospital admissions in children under 10 years of age in Brazil between January 2021 and December 2024, using data from the SUS Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS). This is an observational, ecological, and longitudinal study that included 5,990,034 hospital admissions. The main causes of hospitalization were respiratory diseases (29.5%), followed by perinatal conditions (22.1%) and infectious and parasitic diseases (12.3%). Variations were observed according to age: in children under 1 year of age, perinatal conditions predominated, while between 1 and 9 years of age, respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, acute bronchiolitis, and asthma stood out, with a post-pandemic increase in bronchiolitis. Among infectious diseases, gastroenteritis was the main cause, although congenital syphilis was highly prevalent in infants. The results indicate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the predominance of potentially preventable conditions or those sensitive to primary care.