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Injuries to preschool children and infection control practices in childcare programs
1School of Health Science, Grover Center E334, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA. waibel@ohio.edu
Insights
Childcare injuries, primarily bites and self-inflicted wounds, were mostly minor and treated with first aid. Injury rates were higher in younger children, males, and during morning hours.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Injury Epidemiology
- Childcare Health and Safety
- Infection Control in Early Childhood Settings
Background:
- Injuries are a leading cause of death in children (0-12 years).
- Childcare settings report a significant number of child injuries.
- Potential exposure to blood/bodily fluids during injuries poses health risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the rate, type, and extent of injuries in childcare centers.
- To assess infection control practices implemented by childcare staff.
- To identify predictors of injury occurrence in young children.
Main Methods:
- A one-year survey of injury reports from 131 children (six weeks to seven years) in two urban childcare programs.
- Analysis of 897 injury reports detailing injury types, severity, and first aid administered.
- Statistical analysis to determine the influence of age, gender, and time of day on injury rates.
Main Results:
- Over 1,000 injuries were recorded, with bites (39%) and self-inflicted injuries (11%) being most common.
- The vast majority of injuries (99%) were minor, with 73% receiving first aid.
- Injury rates decreased with age, were higher in males, and peaked in the morning.
Conclusions:
- Childcare injuries are frequent but predominantly minor, requiring basic first aid.
- Age, gender, and time of day are significant factors influencing injury risk in childcare settings.
- Further research into targeted prevention strategies based on identified risk factors is warranted.
Abstract:
Injuries represent the leading cause of death for children aged 0 to 12 years, and exposure to blood or bodily fluids at the time of injury may pose a health and safety problem. More than 800,000 injuries were reported in 2000, and many occurred in childcare programs. This survey examined rate, type, and extent of injuries in centers and the infection control practices employed by staff. Participants included 131 children aged six weeks to seven years, enrolled in two childcare programs in an urban setting. Eight hundred ninety-seven injury reports with 1,023 (126 simultaneous) injuries were recorded over a one-year period. Results indicated the majority of injuries (39%) were for bites and 11% were self-inflicted. Injuries were classified as minor (99%) or moderate (1%) with 73% receiving first aid by staff. Bleeding from injuries was minimal in 14% of injuries, while no injuries reported moderate or severe bleeding. The rate of medically attended (first aid treatment) injury was 5.31 per 100,000 child hours. Injury rates decreased with age in the center (P = .001), were higher for males (P = .036), and occurred most frequently in the morning (P = .001). Age, gender, and time of the day were significant predictors of injuries in the multivariate model.