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[Epidemiology and prognosis of childhood injuries in Dakar, Senegal]
1Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital Principal de Dakar, BP 3006, Dakar, Sénégal. kasidy@refer.sn
Insights
Childhood injuries in Dakar, Senegal, are a significant concern, with annual incidence doubling between 1997-2000. Road accidents and falls were leading causes of death, highlighting the urgent need for prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Childhood injury is a major public health issue in developing nations.
- Urbanization and population displacement contribute to increased accident risks.
- Limited emergency services exacerbate injury severity.
Purpose:
- To analyze the incidence, causes, and outcomes of childhood accidental injuries.
- To identify risk factors and trends in pediatric accidental injuries in Dakar, Senegal.
- To provide data for developing effective injury prevention strategies.
Summary:
- A retrospective study analyzed 381 children hospitalized for accidental injuries in Dakar, Senegal (1997-2000).
- Annual injury incidence doubled; common causes included trauma (falls, road accidents), poisoning, and burns.
- Road accidents and falls were the most frequent causes of fatalities.
Impact:
- The findings underscore the underestimated burden of childhood injury in Africa.
- Urgent need for targeted information campaigns and prevention programs.
- Data can inform policy for reducing childhood morbidity and mortality from accidents.
Abstract:
The impact of accidental injury on childhood morbidity and mortality in Africa is underestimated. The frequency and severity of accidents is high. This retrospective study includes 381 children (3% of admission) between the ages of 0 and 15 years hospitalized for accidental injury at the Principal Hospital in Dakar, Senegal, between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2000. The annual incidence of childhood injury doubled over the 4-year study period. Mean age was 48 months and the M/F sex ratio was 1.7. The causes were trauma (n = 184) due to domestic accidents (n = 109 including 91 falls) or road accidents (n = 75), poisoning (n = 129 including 38 caustic soda burns), foreign body aspiration or ingestion (n = 30), burns (n = 18), and miscellaneous accidents (n = 20). Most fatalities (9%) were due to road accidents and falls. Rapid uncontrolled urbanization and problems of displaced rural populations in adapting to city living may account for the high frequency of falls from high buildings and road accidents. As in industrialized countries road accidents, though not the most frequent, are the most lethal. Lack of emergency services accounts for severity. Vigorous information campaigns and prevention action will be needed to lower the high morbidity and mortality of childhood injury in developing countries.
