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Non-traumatic injuries in childhood: an epidemiological survey
1Department of Pediatrics, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Insights
Childhood non-traumatic injuries, often accidental ingestions or poisonings, are most common in boys aged 1-3 years, primarily occurring at home. Prevention through parent and child education is crucial.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Childhood Injury Prevention
- Toxicology
Background:
- Accidents are a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality.
- Increased availability of chemical products and child curiosity contribute to rising non-traumatic injuries.
- Special attention is needed for the prevention of these injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the incidence and characteristics of non-traumatic injuries in children.
- To identify common causes, demographics, and outcomes of pediatric non-traumatic injuries.
- To inform prevention strategies for childhood non-traumatic injuries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records for 266 children diagnosed with non-traumatic injuries.
- Data collected from January 1990 to December 1993 at Veterans General Hospital-Taipei.
- Inclusion criteria: pediatric patients presenting to the emergency room with non-traumatic injuries.
Main Results:
- Household materials (e.g., pesticides), drugs (e.g., benzodiazepines), and foreign bodies (e.g., coins) were leading causes.
- The majority of victims were boys aged 1-3 years (66.2%), particularly 13-24 months.
- Most injuries (92%) occurred at home, were accidental (92%), and often involved central nervous system symptoms (62%); 30% required hospitalization, with 2 deaths and 3 severe sequelae.
Conclusions:
- Boys aged 1-3 years are the most vulnerable group for accidental non-traumatic injuries, especially ingestion and poisoning.
- The home environment is the most frequent setting for these incidents.
- Parental and child education is paramount for effective prevention of childhood non-traumatic injuries.
Background:
Accident is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood. The incidence of various non-traumatic injuries has increased due to proliferation of many chemical products and curiosity of little children, which needs our special attention for prevention.
Methods:
Two hundred and sixty-six children were sent to the pediatric emergency room of Veterans General Hospital-Taipei from January 1990 to December 1993 with a diagnosis of non-traumatic injuries. Retrospective analysis of their medical records was performed.
Results:
Household materials were the most common ingested material causing non-traumatic injuries, followed by drugs, foreign bodies and gases. The male to female ratio was 1.3:1. The children were most commonly 1 to 3 years of age (66.2%), especially between 13 to 24 months. Benzodiazepines, pesticides and coins were the most common causes in drug, household material and foreign body groups, respectively. Sixty-two percent of cases had symptoms, and the major presentations occurred in central nervous system. Ninety-two percent of non-traumatic injuries happened at home, and ninety-two percent of the events were accidental. Approximately thirty percent of patients needed hospitalization. Ultimately, two cases died and another three had severe sequelae.
Conclusions:
Boys at 1-3 years of age had the highest proportion among young victims of non-traumatic injuries especially via accidental ingestion or poisoning, and home was the most common site of event. Proper prevention with education to the parents and children is of the most importance to eliminate such injuries.