Table 6 Supplementary information about the different long-term health challenges

Asthma

The prevalence of asthma various with how asthma is defined and which methods are used to measure it. Figures from Scandinavia shows that the prevalence is increasing, between 4 -10% of children under the age of 15 has asthma [58].

Epilepsy

The prevalence of epilepsy among children in the Nordic countries varies from 3.2–5.1 cases per 1000 persons [59].

Diabetes type 1

The incidence of type 1 diabetes in Norway is 28/100,000 per year in children below the age of 15 [60].

Sensory impairment (hearing and visual impairment)

Permanent hearing impairment is estimated to occur in 1–2 children per 1000 newborns in developed countries [61, 62]. The prevalence of visual impairment in children and adolescents in the Nordic countries are quite similar [63], with prevalence rates of 11 per 10,000 (0–19 years) [64].

Celiac disease

Celiak disease is a long-term inflammation in the proximal small intestine caused by an inappropriate immune response against gluten proteins contained in wheat, barley, and rye. Celiak disease is increasing in Norway among children, with the incidence rate 45.5 cases per 100,000 person-years below the age of 15 [65].

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

IBD is a term for two conditions (chrohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) that are characterized by long-term inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Incidence rates for pediatric chrons disease have increased up to 9 or 10 per 100,000 population in parts of Europe, including Scandinavia, while rates for pediatric ulcerative colitis are often slightly lower than for chrons disease [66].

Juvenile arthritis

Juvenile arthritis is a disease that causes inflammation in one or more joints (arthritis), and where the disease starts before the age of 16. The reported prevalence is around 1–2 cases per 1000 children [67, 68].

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)

SMA is characterised by degeneration of the alpha motor neurons of the spinal cord anterior horn cells, leading to progressive proximal muscle weakness and atrophy. Prevalence of approximately 1–2 per 100,000 persons have been estimated with SMA [69].

Spina bifida (SB)

SB is a congenital birth defect that is caused by a failed closure of one or more vertebrae during the early weeks of gestation. Every year, 20–30 children are born with spina bifida in Norway. This corresponds to 4–5 cases per 10,000 births [70].

Cerebral palsy (CP)

CP is the most common cause of permanent motor disabilities in children [71]. The average prevalence of CP for children born in Norway 1999 to 2010 was 2.35 per 1000 live births [72].