Unintentional head injury in children less than 3 years of age: An insight into safety practices in a developing country
Document Type
Article
Department
Neurosurgery
Abstract
Being dependent on caretakers for their safety, children under the age of 3 years are particularly vulnerable to unintentional injury. To identify the circumstances and consequences of head injury in this age group and to assess preventability in a setting of low parental educational levels, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of children less than 3 years of age admitted to hospital with a head injury and in addition categorized the degree of preventability of injury. This study included 109 children, representing a third of head-injured children under the age of 16 years, and 23.4% of these were infants. A significant proportion of head injuries, i.e., 20.18%, were designated "serious" and there was an in-hospital mortality rate of 7.3%. Most of the injuries (80%) occurred in the home and 76% could have been prevented through improved parental supervision and safety measures. We conclude that, in a setting of low maternal education, head injuries in preschoolers largely result from a lack of diligence of the caretakers, presenting opportunities for prevention strategies via a multidimensional approach that integrates safety information into the preexisting national health programs.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Recommended Citation
Waqas, M.,
Jooma, R.
(2017). Unintentional head injury in children less than 3 years of age: An insight into safety practices in a developing country. Pediatric Neurosurgery, 52(5), 306-312.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_surg_neurosurg/80