Epidemiology of childhood burns in Maiduguri north-eastern Nigeria

Burns is a global problem and has its toll especially in a developing region like ours where poverty and ignorance are still rife. Previous studies in the sub-region have lumped children and adults together. We retrospectively studied the factors that lead to burns in children and the peculiarities in managing them.

All case notes of burns injury in children managed at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital between 1991-2000 were retrospectively studied.

A total of 219 children were studied. Children of age below 5 years were affected more than children above 5 years (168 vs. 51) with toddlers 1-2 years constituting a significant proportion of those below 5 years (71 vs. 168). The male to female ratio was 1.6:1 with a preponderance of male children below 10 years and the females between 11-15 years of age. The commonest cause of burns was scald (64.4%) in the household, which is usually accidental, but 3 were suicide attempts by teenage pregnant females 11-15 years protesting forced marriages, a cultural problem in our environment. Flame burns ranked second (27.4%) and results mainly from careless storage, adulteration and hawking of petroleum products. More than 50% of the patients sustained major burns resulting in high morbidity and mortality rate of 16%.

Burn is a major public health problem and will require public/school health education campaign on childhood household safety. Appropriate legislation and enforcement on the sale of petroleum products would help to reduce the scourge.