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12  Child Health

Preventive health care is important across all age groups. However, it is especially important for children and adolescents to help them avoid preventable diseases and maintain good health throughout their lives. According to the US Census Bureau, 5.8% of the population in the Mid-Hudson (M-H) Region is under five years old; Rockland County has the highest percentage of children in this cohort (8.5%) and Ulster County has the lowest (4.4%) Table 6.3.

Children are at risk for developing certain diseases, including ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions. These are conditions where ED use is thought to be avoidable by focusing on interventions in primary care (1). Some ACS conditions include asthma, otitis media, gastroenteritis, and pneumonia.

12.1 Asthma

Asthma is caused by airway restriction in the lungs, resulting in difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing. It is a condition commonly found among children, but it can be managed and treated with medical care [see page 144]. Looking at the 2020–2022 hospitalization rate for those aged 0–4 years, the M-H Region had a higher hospitalization rate than NYS excluding NYC Figure 10.9 and Table 10.10.

12.2 Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection that can affect children starting at a young age. It is typically a viral infection that causes fever, watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain (2). Viral infections are generally spread through contact with someone infected with the disease or by ingesting contaminated substances. Children are especially at risk at day care centers or schools, where they can encounter other infected classmates.

The 2020–2022 hospitalization rate of gastroenteritis for children 0 to 4 years of age in the M-H Region was higher than the hospitalization rate for NYS excluding NYC but lower than NYS Figure 12.1.

12.3 Otitis Media

Otitis media is an infection that occurs in the middle ear and is most often diagnosed in children. Even though antibiotics are typically used to clear the infection, some children are prone to chronic ear infections. This can lead to other consequences, such as antibiotic resistance, surgery, and hearing loss. Common symptoms of otitis media include ear pain, tugging or pulling at the ear, crying more than usual, trouble hearing, fever, and drainage from the ear (3).

For the 2020–2022 hospitalization rate for those aged 0–4 years, the M-H Region had the same rate as NYS but was slightly higher than NYS excluding NYC Figure 12.1.

12.4 Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an infection that causes inflammation in the air sacs in one or both lungs. Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. It can lead to serious consequences in young children, as well as people over age 65. Symptoms of pneumonia include fever, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath (4).

The 2020–2022 hospitalization rate for children aged 0–4 years was higher in the M-H Region (15.2) than NYS (13.4) and NYS excluding NYC (11.5) Figure 12.1.

It is important that children be vaccinated to prevent pneumococcal infection. For more information about vaccination rates, please see page 270.

Figure 12.1: Asthma, Gastroenteritis, Otitis Media, and Pneumonia Hospitalizations, Rate per 10,000 Population Aged 0–4 Years, 2020–2022

Table 12.1: Asthma, Gastroenteritis, Otitis Media, and Pneumonia Hospitalizations, Rate per 10,000 Population Aged 0–4 Years, 2020–2022

Region	Asthma	Gastroenteritis	Otitis Media	Pneumonia
Mid-Hudson	18.8	6.8	1.0	15.2
NYS excl NYC	17.2	5.3	0.8	11.5
NYS	24.9	7.7	1.0	13.4

NoteSource

NYS Community Health Indicator Reports Dashboard, April 2025 sourced from NY Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System https://apps.health.ny.gov/public/tabvis/PHIG_Public/chirs/reports/#county

Note

Note: The ICD-10 codes for otitis media are: H65.0, H65.1, H65.2, H65.3, H66.0, H66.1, and H66.2.

1.

The Journal of Pediatrics. Pediatric ambulatory care sensitive conditions and emergency department use. 2018 [cited 2022 Aug]; Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5826824/

2.

Mayo Clinic. 2022 [cited 2025 Jul]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/viral-gastroenteritis/symptoms-causes/syc-20378847

3.

Mayo Clinic. 2021 [cited 2025 Jul]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ear-infections/symptoms-causes/syc-20351616

4.

Mayo Clinic. 2020 [cited 2025 Jul]. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pneumonia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354204