A Prospective Study of Significant Non-fatal Injuries in Small Children in Cape Town: Lessons for Prevention

Abstract

Paediatric trauma is the leading cause of death in the 5-14 year-old age group in South Africa and elsewhere in the world, with attendant considerable morbidity. This prospective study analyzed 100 consecutive children (under the age of 12 years old) presenting with injuries requiring admission to a trauma center inCapeTown.
The most common cause of injuries were motor vehicle accidents (33%) followed by falls (31%), sports (8%),poisoning (3%), and bicycle accidents (2%). Fourteen (14%) children were injured non-accidentally. The majority of injured children were from poor socio-economic circumstances with a mean family income of 894R (130 USD) per month. Alcohol played a role in the etiology of at least 21%of the injuries.Children are vulnerable to injuries in our society and there is presently too little direction on preventative aspects of these injuries.

Keywords: Trauma,Children, pattern,CapeTown.

African Journal of Paediatric Surgery Vol. 4 (1) 2007: pp. 7-11