Burn injuries in small children, a population-based study in Sweden

The aim of this study was to describe characteristics in burn injuries in children (zero to six years old), consulting primary care and hospital-based care in Malmö, Sweden. Burn-injured children consulting the University Hospital or the 21 Health Centres, during year 1998 and year 2002, were included.

Epidemiological studies of burns in children have mostly been hospital-based and the cases that never reached the hospital have been excluded.

The study had a retroperspective design with data collected from medical records.

Chi-squared test was used to analyse differences in nominal data and cross tables were used to analyse the proportions between the characteristics of the injuries and sex, age and nationality.

The burn-injured children were 148 and 80% of those were scalds, caused by hot liquid (71%) or hot food (29%). The greatest number was boys between one and two years old. Children to foreign born parents were more frequently affected and the extent of the injuries often larger. Almost all the accidents (96%) occurred in home environment, while a family member was next to the child. The Health Centres received more often children affected on hand/arm and by causes like hot food than the University Hospital.

Our data demonstrate the importance of developing a programme for the prevention of paediatric scalds with education of family members to be aware of the danger. With present study the knowledge about the occurrence of injuries in scald accidents in children has become deeper. This knowledge may contribute to more individual adept child accident prevention programme, to use in the child health care.