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An analysis of accidents at a day care center
Richard Elardo1, Hope C Solomons1, Bill C Snider1
1University of Iowa.
The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
|January 1, 1987
Insights
Toddlers experienced the most self-induced injuries at a university day care. Accidents were most common in mid-mornings during September, though most injuries were minor.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Development
- Public Health
Background:
- Child day care centers are common.
- Understanding accident patterns is crucial for prevention.
- Previous studies on day care accidents exist.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze accident patterns in a university day care setting.
- To identify high-risk age groups and times for accidents.
- To compare findings with previous research.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1324 accidents over 42 months.
- Data collected from a university day care center.
- Categorization of injuries by age, time, and month.
Main Results:
- Toddlers had the highest average number of injuries.
- Most toddler injuries were self-induced.
- Accidents peaked in mid-morning, with September having the highest rate.
- Despite frequent accidents, injuries were generally minor.
Conclusions:
- Toddlers are a high-risk group for self-induced injuries in day care.
- Mid-morning and September require increased safety vigilance.
- Day care accident patterns may evolve over time.
Abstract:
An analysis of 1324 accidents over a 42-month period at a university day care center revealed that toddlers had the highest average number of injuries, most of them self-induced, that accidents peaked in mid-morning, and that September was the month with the highest accident rate. Although accidents were frequent, injuries were minor. Results are contrasted to those of earlier studies.