Burn injuries among children aged up to seven years

We investigated characteristics of burns in children aged up to seven years and hospitalized at our Burn Unit between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2007 in order to detect risk factors and prepare a program for prevention of burn injuries in children. There were 119 boys and 81 girls (ratio 1:0.67) and the mean total body surface area burned was 16.6 +/- 12.5%. Sixty-nine percent (n = 138) of the burn-injured children were under three years old. Scalds accounted for more than 60% of the pediatric burns occurring in all age groups. The anterior trunk was the most frequently affected body part (51.5%). The overall mortality rate was 4% (8 deaths). The children included in this study were younger than seven years and they were supposed to be under the care of their parents. Parental neglect might have played a role in burn injuries in these children. In developing countries like Turkey, parents should be offered education about prevention of burn injuries in childhood.