Aims Dental treatment under general anaesthesia (DGA) in children is a major public health concern. In the UK, dental extractions are the leading cause of hospital admissions for 6–10-year-olds. Although family-related risk factors are known, no UK-based study has explored the characteristics of siblings undergoing DGA. The aims of this study were to: 1) describe the sociodemographic characteristics of siblings receiving DGA; 2) outline the diagnoses and treatment; 3) identify predictors of repeat DGA among siblings; and 4) compare within- and between-family factors. Methods This retrospective cohort study analysed records of children treated with DGA at a London teaching hospital 2010–2021. Siblings were identified using surname, address and next-of-kin data. Sociodemographic and treatment data were extracted and analysed using SPSS. Results Six percent of children had siblings who also had DGA (730 children from 356 families). Most were two-sibling families (95%), 75% were aged 3–9 years, 38% were Asian and 83% lived in the most deprived areas. Caries was the most common diagnosis (92%); 98% underwent extractions. Young age, Black ethnicity, ‘complex developmental conditions' and restorations at first DGA were predictors of repeat DGA. Siblings had DGA at similar ages (mean difference: five months) with similar numbers of teeth extracted. Conclusions DGA in siblings highlights ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities. Strong within-family concordance suggests shared risk factors requiring family-based interventions.
Hurry et al. (Thu,) studied this question.