A Portrayal of Childhood Injury among Under-Five Year Children

Abstract

Introduction:Children and injuries are always closely associated. Injuries to children irrespective of its seriousness will affect the whole family function. One of the major reasons for childhood morbidity and mortality are injuries. Method: A cross sectional house to house survey was conducted in Udupi Taluk to identify the major types of childhood injuries. The study also tried to find the association between the age of the child and the common injuries.Results:The present study used a sample subject of 2040 for the survey. The mean age of children included in the study were 2.60 (SD + 1.16) years. Majority of children included in the survey were males 52.5%. The overall injury identified in survey was 14%. Fall from stairs (92%), burn with hot water/food (41%), injury with a sharp knife (72%), accidental ingestion of medicine (3%), injury during play (94%) and foreign body in ear and nose (79%) were identified as the most common injuries among children of 2 to 5 years.Conclusion:This article establishes the need for a detailed prevalence survey. A detailed survey will help in planning an intervention for caregivers which can reduce the injuries in children.