Research Reveals Higher Risk of Death in Pediatric Intensive Care Among Ethnic Minority and Economically Disadvantaged Children

A recent extensive study analyzing 14 years of UK-wide data has highlighted significant disparities in outcomes for children admitted to Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs). The research, conducted by teams from Imperial College London, the University of Leicester, UCL, and the University of Leeds, examined over 160,000 critically ill children and revealed that children from ethnic minority backgrounds and those living in areas with higher levels of poverty face a greater risk of mortality and longer hospital stays. Specifically, children of Asian ethnicity showed a 52% higher likelihood of dying in PICU compared to white children, who had the lowest mortality rates. Children of multiple or other ethnicities also faced increased odds of mortality. Additionally, children residing in more deprived areas were found to be more severely ill upon admission, with higher mortality rates and longer durations in intensive care. They also exhibited higher rates of unplanned readmissions within 60 days after discharge.

The study further noted that ethnic minority children and those from poorer regions tended to stay longer in PICUs—averaging 66 hours compared to 52 hours for white children—and had a higher probability of unplanned readmissions. These findings signal profound inequalities in critical care outcomes, which are compounded by barriers related to access to healthcare, education, and language, especially for marginalized communities.

Dr. Hannah Mitchell, lead author from Imperial College London, emphasized that such disparities are unacceptable in a developed health system and called for urgent policy and healthcare system reforms. She underlined the rising rates of child poverty in the UK, which currently affects 4.5 million children, highlighting the need for strategies to reduce these inequalities.

Professor Padmanabhan Ramnarayan echoed these concerns, pointing out that with the expected increase in PICU admissions driven by complex chronic conditions, addressing these disparities must be a priority. The researchers stress that ethnicity and socioeconomic status should not determine a child's health outcome and advocate for improved access to urgent care, earlier identification of critical conditions, and better coordination across healthcare sectors.

This crucial research underscores the importance of addressing systemic inequalities to ensure all children receive equitable and quality critical care. The findings are published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health and serve as a call to action for policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities to work toward reducing avoidable deaths and improving health outcomes for vulnerable children.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-ethnic-minority-poorer-children-die.html