Injuries in the eighth and ninth years of life

From a sample of 818 children, 211 were involved in 256 separate incidents which resulted in 283 injuries requiring medical attention. The most common injuries were lacerations, abrasions and contusions, fractures, concussion, and sprains. The majority of the injuries were minor. The most common incident resulting in injury was a fall, followed by incidents where the child struck against or was struck by an object or persons and incidents involving sharp objects. The nature and circumstances of the serious injuries is presented in detail. Methods of improving the description and the classification of childhood injuries and some incidents worthy of further investigation are discussed.