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Minor injuries among under-fives in a South Indian village

Anita Nath1, Vijaya A Naik

  • 1Department of Community Medicine, Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College, KLE University, Belgaum, Karnataka, India. anath@popcouncil.org

Indian Pediatrics
|May 12, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Many young children in rural India with injuries, often abrasions, do not receive timely medical care. Parents frequently use home remedies, highlighting a need for training in proper injury management for children under five.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric injury management
  • Public health research
  • Rural healthcare access

Background:

  • Injuries are a significant cause of morbidity in children under five.
  • Understanding parental treatment-seeking behavior is crucial for improving child health outcomes.
  • Limited access to healthcare in rural settings can impact injury management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the treatment-seeking behaviors of parents/caretakers for injuries in children under five in rural Southern India.
  • To identify common injury types and treatment modalities utilized.
  • To assess the timeliness of injury treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study involving 325 children under five years of age in rural Southern India.
  • Data collection on injury occurrence, type, and treatment sought.
  • Analysis of treatment seeking behavior, including professional healthcare, home remedies, and no treatment.

Main Results:

  • Nearly 40% of injuries were treated by health personnel, 29% by home remedies, and 31.3% received no treatment.
  • Abrasions were the most common injury type (72.6%).
  • Less than half (47.3%) of injuries received treatment within one hour.

Conclusions:

  • A significant proportion of childhood injuries in rural Southern India are managed with home remedies or not treated at all.
  • Timely and appropriate treatment for childhood injuries remains a challenge.
  • Training parents and caretakers in hygienic and timely injury management is recommended to improve outcomes.

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