Turns out, severe infections that have led to hospitalisation during childhood are associated with lower school achievement in adolescence. According to a new research conducted at Wolters Kluwer Health, higher numbers of hospitalizations for infections are associated with a reduced probability of completing ninth grade, as well as with lower test scores. The study included nationwide data of several children.

The researchers looked at two measures of childhood infections i.e. hospital admission for infections, an indicator of moderate to severe infections, and prescriptions for anti-infective drugs (such as antibiotics) in primary care, reflecting less-severe infections. These infection measures were then analyzed for their association with two measures of later school achievement, completing ninth grade and average scores on the final ninth-grade school examinations. Any hospital contact for infections was associated with a reduction in the odds of completing ninth grade.