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Burns in children under 3 years of age: the Zaria experience
1Department of Surgery, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria.
Insights
Pediatric burns, primarily scalds, were common in young children during the Harmattan season. Prevention requires addressing housing, cooking, and maternal health factors to reduce high mortality rates.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Public Health
- Burn Injury Research
Background:
- Pediatric burn injuries represent a significant public health concern, particularly in regions with specific environmental and socioeconomic factors.
- Understanding the epidemiology of burn injuries in young children is crucial for developing targeted prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the causes, characteristics, complications, and outcomes of burn injuries in children under 36 months admitted for care.
- To identify associated risk factors and seasonal trends in pediatric burns.
- To inform prevention efforts by highlighting key contributing factors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 84 children aged 36 months and under admitted for burns between January 1980 and December 1989.
- Data collection included burn etiology, affected body parts, admission season, associated risk factors, complications, and mortality.
Main Results:
- Scalds accounted for 64% of injuries, followed by flame burns (33%).
- Upper extremities were the most frequently injured site.
- A majority of admissions (65%) occurred during the Harmattan season, with associated factors including floor-level cooking and bedside fires.
- Wound infection was the most common complication, and the overall mortality rate was 27.4%.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric burns, particularly scalds, are associated with environmental and domestic factors, with a notable seasonal incidence during the Harmattan.
- High mortality rates underscore the urgent need for improved housing design, safer cooking practices, and maternal health interventions.
- Comprehensive burn prevention programs must address socioeconomic and cultural factors contributing to these injuries.
Abstract:
This is a retrospective study of 84 children aged 36 months and less who were admitted for burns care from January 1980 to December 1989. Fifty-four (64%) had scalds, 28 (33%) had flame burns and in two children the cause was not known. The upper extremities were most commonly involved. Sixty-five per cent of the children were admitted during the cool, dry Harmattan season. Associated factors included cooking at floor level, bedside fires, epileptic fits in the mothers and general architectural factors. Wound infection was the commonest complication. The overall mortality rate was 27.4%. Burns prevention demands improvement in the design of houses, cooking methods, treatment of epilepsy and abandoning puerperal bathing by mothers.