Children with Chronic Health Conditions
Summary
Chronic health conditions (both chronic illnesses and chronic physical disabilities) are generally defined as those conditions that last > 12 months and are severe enough to create some limitations in usual activity. It has been estimated that chronic health conditions affect 10 to 30% of children, depending on the criteria. Examples of chronic illnesses include asthma, cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease, diabetes mellitus, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and depression. Examples of chronic physical disabilities include meningomyelocele, hearing impairments or visual impairments, cerebral palsy, and loss of limb function.
Source: Merk Manual (2022). Children with Chronic Health Conditions.