Past studies
Find information about previous studies with BPSU over its history. This includes the key findings, as well as any publications associated with the study. These display in order of the study's start date, and you can use the filter to find by category or start date.
Filter by...
-
Congenital and hospitalised neonatal varicella
BPSU surveillance of fetal varicella syndrome (FVS) and neonatal varicella commenced with the June 2023 card. It is conducted by the UKHSA and led by Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, and studies how many babies have FVS or neonatal varicella, the features of the diseases, the treatments babies receive and the outcomes of their disease. It aims to understand FVS and neonatal varicella in order to guide decisions about chicken pox vaccination, and to guide the treatment of these conditions. A parallel study is conducted in Portugal.
Read more
-
Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis/ chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CRMO/CNO)
Surveillance of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis/ chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CRMO/CNO) commenced in October 2020. It is being led by Dr Chenqu Suo, winner of the Sir Peter Tizard Bursary 2018-19. This study intends to find out how common CRMO/CNO is, and who is involved in the care of CRMO/CNO patients. This will help to guide planning in healthcare services. Moreover, by looking at the existing treatments patients receive and their outcome, the study will allow us to understand the different treatments being used across the country, the short-term outlook, and complications.
Read more
-
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome, Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome
Surveillance of multisystem inflammatory syndrome commenced in 2020. The aim was to understand the incidence, presenting features, laboratory features, management, clinical course and the outcome of this potentially new syndrome characterised by hyperinflammation which is temporally associated with COVID-19. A better understanding of the illness will help improve the way we look after such children and may lead to new treatment and prevention strategies in the future.
Read more
-
Neonatal complications of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Surveillance of the neonatal complications of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) commenced in March 2020. The study aims to find out how many babies develop coronavirus infection in the first month after birth, and how many babies born to women with coronavirus need neonatal care; describe which babies develop COVID-19 infection and what symptoms or signs they have; and describe how COVID-19 in babies is identified and treated.
Read more
-
Herpes simplex virus
BPSU surveillance of neonatal herpes simplex virus disease in infants less than 90 days of ages commenced in July 2019 and will run for 4.5 years. This study will assess the current disease burden of HSV to inform future practice on detection, prevention and management of this dangerous disease.
Read more
-
Enterovirus and parechovirus meningitis
Surveillance of enterovirus and parechovirus meningitis in infants less than 90 days of age concluded in July 2015. The study team hope to understand the clinical burden of the condition. A paper has now been published in Archives of Disease in Childhood - see below link to the abstract.
Read more
-
Listeria infection in infants
Surveillance of listeria infection in infants less than 90 days commenced in September 2017. The study aims to establish the incidence of listeria infection in young infants, define whether some ethnic groups or geographical areas are more affected and describe the management and clinical outcome of the infected babies in the UK and ROI. Results will inform national antibiotic policy for young infants.
Read more
-
Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (MRSA)
Surveillance of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia in children occurred from June 2005 to June 2007. At the time of surveillance, routine national surveillance had been analysed and identified a potentially worrying increase in MRSA bacteraemia in children. The number of reported cases rose from four in 1990 to 77 in 2000. This study aimed to obtain a robust estimate of the incidence of MRSA bacteraemia in children and to define the demographic and clinical features to identify those children at high risk.
Read more
-
Neonatal herpes 2
The study (run from January 2004 to 2007) aimed to estimate the current prevalence of neonatal HSV infection in the British Isles and distinguish the proportion attributable to HSV-1 and HSV-2. Explore the presentation of neonatal HSV infection and the management of diagnosed cases. Assess subsequent morbidity and mortality through the notifying paediatrician. Compare findings with the 1986-91 BPSU cohort, and with other INOPSU studies of HSV and inform the debate on antenatal screening.
Read more
-
Tuberculosis (TB) in childhood
This study ran from December 2003 to January 2005. At that time, in the UK, tuberculosis (TB) notification rates had stabilised at 11-12 /100,000 population. However, notification rates in London over the decade before the study were more than three times this level. National data on paediatric TB could be derived from statutory notifications and, since 1999, via the enhanced surveillance system. This BPSU study was important in both validating the enhanced surveillance system and informing the development of services for children with TB as part of the overall infection strategy for children.
Read more
-
Invasive fungal infections in very low birthweight infants
Given the high mortality and the difficulty in establishing an early diagnosis, there was a need to assess the effect of strategies to prevent invasive fungal infection in very low-birth-weight infants(VLBW). The evaluation of such measures would be assisted by the availability of national epidemiological data in an unselected population of VLBW infants. The study aims to determine the incidence of invasive fungal infection in VLBW infants and describe the patterns and clinical spectrum of presentation. Additionally, to determine which fungi were responsible, elicit treatment strategies and describe clinical outcomes at 37 weeks post-gestational age.
Read more
-
Severe complications of varicella (chickenpox) in hospitalised children
When this study started surveillance, there was little data on complicated varicella cases in the UK. Analysis of routine hospital discharge records, but did not provide data with sufficient detail or accuracy. There was no routine childhood immunisation programme against varicella in the UK or Ireland. Data from the study on severe complications of varicella would have made a valuable contribution to the epidemiological and economic data available. It would also assist in determining the advisability of a universal or selective immunisation. The data would additionally provide a baseline for a vaccination programme for its evaluation.
Read more