Childhood injury: A current perspective

Abstract

The majority of childhood injuries requiring admission are due to traffic-related injury, falls, and burns. Many of these injuries are preventable. In the case of the unpreventable, unintentional injury, the natural history of the injury and outcome can be altered by adherence to established safety standards. New standards also need to be set. There is definitely room for improvement in vehicular restraint systems for the smaller and younger passengers. It is known that wearing bicycle helmets, using safety belts, securing firearms in the home, and controlling hot water heater temperature levels will prevent or lessen injury in children. This information is being promulgated to communities by activities such as the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, a program of Children's National Medical Center sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and the National Safety Council. This campaign emphasizes important aspects of childhood injury: scope, causes, and prevention. Questions about the most devastating of childhood injuries, child abuse and assault related to violent crime, are more complex and the answers elusive. The study of patterns of injury in children highlights the need to implement new strategies aimed at prevention. At the same time, valuable information is obtained about specific injuries and responses seen in children that set them apart from adults.