ABSTRACT
Objective To study epidemiological and clinical patterns of leprosy in children in China. Methods The data of leprosy in children from 1989 to 1998 in China were analyzed in terms of gender, infection source, detection mode, skin lesion, nerve damage, leprosy reaction, clinical type and skin smear. Results A total of 22 437 leprosy cases were detected during 1989～ 1998, of which 912 (4.1％ ) were child cases (560 males and 352 females). Average delay in detection was 1.13 years (n=909). The main source of infection was close contact within families, accounting for 69.2％ , and majority of cases were detected through active modes. Among children with leprosy, 96.8％ were with skin lesions, 76.0％ with nerve damage, 4.7％ with leprosy reactions, 12.4％ with grade II disability and 41.2％ with positive skin smears. The average proportion of child cases was 4.2％ in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces, and 1.3％ in Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces. The proportion of child cases was stable in Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces during this period, whereas in 1998 it significantly increased to 11.6％ in Yunnan. Conclusion The present study suggests that proportion of children with leprosy is one of the sensitive indicators of leprosy endemicity. The sources of leprosy infection in children is predominately due to the contact with active cases within families.