Montréal, February 26, 2025. – Infections and antibiotics use are very common among toddlers aged about 1 ½ years: 9 in 10 children contracted at least one infection and 56% of children had at least one course of antibiotics between the ages of about 5 and 17 months.
This information comes from the Institut de la statistique du Québec’s publication entitled La santé des tout-petits d’environ un an et demi based on the longitudinal study Growing Up in Québec. This study is following more than 4,000 children born in Québec in 2020–2021 until they reach adulthood.
The most common infections
At about 17 months, 90% of children had contracted at least one infection in the 12 months preceding the survey. Over that period:
- 74% of the children had at least one respiratory infection with fever (e.g. cold, flu, pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis)
- 48% had at least one ear infection
- 39% had at least one gastrointestinal infection
- 26% had at least one other infection (e.g. urinary tract infection, skin infection)
Use of antibiotics
Over half (56%) of children aged 1 ½ years received at least one course of antibiotics in the 12 months preceding the survey, while about 11% of children had four or more.
Number of courses of antibiotics taken by children in the 12 months preceding the survey, children aged about 17 months1, Québec, 2022–2023
Note
1. Children born in Québec in 2020–2021.
Source
Institut de la statistique du Québec, Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, 2nd edition.
Chronic health conditions already diagnosed in toddlers
By the age of about 17 months, nearly 1 in 5 toddlers had been diagnosed with a chronic health condition by a health care professional. The most reported health condition was allergies (8%), of which 5% were food allergies and 3.1% were other types of allergies.
Health care services are used regularly, but access is unequal
At the time of the survey, the vast majority (91%) of children aged about 17 months had a family doctor or paediatrician, but this proportion was lower among children in low-income households (86%) than among other children (93%). Children in low-income households were also less likely to be taken to see a doctor for a routine checkup (94% vs. 98%) or for a health problem or illness (66% vs. 79%).
About the study
The Growing Up in Québec study was started to fulfill a need for knowledge about the development of children born in Québec. This second edition of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development is carried out by the Institut de la statistique du Québec in collaboration with various partners, and is funded by the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, the Ministère de la Famille, the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the Ministère de l’Éducation, the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale, the Conseil de gestion de l’assurance parentale, and the Institut de la statistique du Québec.
The children covered by the study are those born in 2020–2021 to mothers living in Québec. The initial sample included 4,703 children, and data about them is collected every year from the age of 5 months to about 8 years. Afterwards, data should be collected every two years, as well as at certain key moments. The second data collection took place from May 2022 to March 2023 when the children were about 17 months old.
To learn more about Growing Up in Québec
For 25 years, the Institut de la statistique du Québec has been producing, analyzing, and disseminating official, objective and high-quality statistical information on various aspects of Québec society. It is responsible for conducting all statistical surveys of general interest. The relevance of its work makes it a strategic ally for decision makers and an essential source of information for all those wishing to learn more about Québec.