The Business Case for Protecting and Promoting Child and Adolescent Health
Key Health Risks: Children
While most children are generally healthy, all children face health risks. Business Group membership
surveys show that large employers are particularly concerned with child health risks that are serious
(i.e., they result in long-term or permanent problems) and costly to treat or manage. In 2005, the
Business Group asked its large-employer members to name the most “problematic” health conditions
that affected their child and adolescent beneficiaries (refer to Figure 4B on page 24). Respondents
reported that for children aged 0 to 12 years preterm birth, asthma, diabetes, injuries, and infections
were the most problematic conditions; for adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, the most problematic
conditions were asthma, behavioral health problems, injuries, and obesity.^3
Vaccine Preventable Diseases
Health Impact
Immunizations have a powerful positive impact on the
overall health of children. Childhood immunization^21 :
• Is generally safe;
• Protects children from a number of potentially
serious and even deadly childhood diseases;
• Prevents outbreaks of infectious diseases and the spread of epidemics; and
• Is one of the only defenses against many childhood infections, such as chicken pox, polio,
and measles.
Average Prenatal Care and Maternity-Related Hospital
Payments for Privately-Insured Women, 2004
$7 ,20 5
$10 ,32 4
$46 3
$52 3
$0
$2 ,00 0
$4 ,00 0
$6 ,00 0
$8 ,00 0
$10 ,00 0
$12 ,00 0
Infant Hospital Charges
5,80 0
205 ,00 0
$0
$50 ,000
$10 0,000
$15 0,000
$20 0,000
$25 0,000
Normal birt hweigh t Low birt hweight
He alth care Cos ts Paid by Employe rs for
Care in th e Firs t Ye ar of Li fe , 200 1
$2 ,83 0
$41 ,61 0
$0
$5,00 0
$1 0,000
$1 5,000
$2 0,000
$2 5,000
$3 0,000
$3 5,000
$4 0,000
$4 5,000
Full -T erm Deli very , No
Compli ca tions
Deli very with Diagnosis
of Pre maturi ty
Preterm Birth Asthma Diabetes Injuries Obesity Infection/Virus Behavioral
Health
Problems
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
67%
33%
50%
33%
25% 25%
42%
25%
33%
25%
0% 0%
33%
N/A
Figure 4B: Child and Adolescent Health Problems of Concern to Employers Age 0-12 years
Age 13-18 years
Source: National Business Group on Health. Maternal and Child Health Benefits Survey. Washington, DC: National Business Group on Health; January 2006.
Childhood immunizations have
eliminated or nearly eliminated
many infectious diseases that
affected children in the past.