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Accidental poisoning in children: a single centre case series study in Bangladesh
Ahsan Ahmed1,2, Md Hasanul Banna Siam1, Mohammad Shojon2
1Department of Emerging and Neglected Diseases, Biomedical Research Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Insights
Accidental poisoning in Bangladeshi children, primarily by kerosene, often occurs in bedrooms when parents are present. This study highlights the need for targeted interventions to prevent childhood poisoning incidents in low-income and middle-income countries.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- Accidental poisoning is a significant cause of unintentional injuries in children within low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- Understanding the socio-demographic factors and contextual elements of accidental poisoning is crucial, especially in regions like Bangladesh where data is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of children experiencing accidental poisoning.
- To identify the common substances involved in accidental poisoning incidents.
- To explore the circumstances and settings where these poisonings occur.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive case series study was conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from April 2019 to February 2020.
- Children under 10 years admitted for accidental poisoning were included.
- Face-to-face interviews with parents using a structured questionnaire were performed, followed by descriptive statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- 223 children were studied, with a majority aged 2-5 years (60%) and male (61%).
- Most incidents occurred in nuclear families (65%) within homes (~82%), often in bedrooms (~50%) while parents were present (~70%).
- Kerosene (33%) was the leading cause, followed by insecticides/pesticides (26.5%), medicines (17%), and household chemicals (12%). Many substances were stored in inappropriate containers (e.g., soft drink bottles).
Conclusions:
- Preschool-aged children are particularly vulnerable to accidental poisoning, with kerosene ingestion being common.
- Incidents frequently happen in bedrooms, even with parental presence, indicating a need for enhanced safety awareness and preventative measures.
- These findings provide a baseline for developing targeted interventions and public health policies to reduce childhood poisoning in Bangladesh.
Background:
Accidental poisoning is a leading cause of unintentional injuries among children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The overall aspect of this unintentional poisoning is poorly understood in Bangladesh. The objectives of this study were (1) to explore the socio-demographic factors and circumstantial context of accidental poisoning and (2) the prevalence of the type of substances causing it.
Methods:
A descriptive case series study was conducted from April 2019 to February 2020 at a tertiary level hospital of the capital city Dhaka in Bangladesh. Children under 10 years of age admitted to the hospital with accidental poisoning were enrolled in this study. Parents of hospitalised children were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.
Results:
A total of 223 children were recruited in this study. Children between 2 and 5 years (60%), men (61%) and children with agility (65.5%) were among the prevalent victims. The majority of cases occurred (65%) in a nuclear family setting. Most mothers (85%) of these children were non-working and most incidents took place in parents' homes (~82%). Nearly 70% of the poisoning incidents took place in the presence of parents and over half of these occurred in the bedroom. Kerosene was the prevalent cause (33%) of accidental poisoning while insecticide/pesticide ranked second (26.5%) followed by medicines (17%) and household chemicals (12). In one-third (31.4%) of the cases, poisoning chemicals were stored in soft drink bottles while two-thirds (67.3%) of the cases were kept in containers other than original ones. Although over 80 parents somewhat knew that chemicals could be harmful to the children if ingested, most of them did not take the safety measures.
Conclusion:
In this present study we found that preschool-aged children were more victims of accidental poisoning mostly by ingesting kerosene and a majority of the incidents took place in the bedroom while parents were present at home. Our study findings would serve as a baseline for designing future intervention studies and policies.
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