What injuries occur?
The most severe injuries are associated with heat-related accidents and falls from a height. Older children are more likely to sustain fractures than younger counterparts.3 Younger children have a higher percentage of burns and scalds as well as poisoning and ingestion accidents.3
Where do accidents happen?
The largest number of accidents happen in the living/dining room.3 However, the most serious accidents happen in the kitchen and on the stairs. Every year more than 67,000 children experience an accident in the kitchen - 43,000 of these are aged between 0-4 years; 58,000 children have accidents on the stairs.3
When do accidents happen?
• Most happen between late afternoon and early evening, in the summer, during school holidays and at weekends
• Factors such as stress, death in the family, chronic illness, homelessness or moving home increase the likelihood of the child having an accident
• Some happen when the usual routine is changed or when people are in a hurry
• Distractions and inadequate supervision are often the cause of accidents
• Poor housing and overcrowded conditions lead to increased numbers of accidents
• Some accidents are caused by lack of familiarity with surroundings, for example, when visiting friends or relatives, or in holiday accommodation.
Cost of children's accidents
It is difficult to give a true cost of treating children's accidents as outpatients and inpatients but in the past it has been estimated at more than £275 million a year. It can cost as much as £250,000 to treat one severe bath water scald. 11
This figure does not reflect the long-term costs of prolonged treatment and rehabilitation or the cost of pain suffering to the patient. Nor does it reflect the lifetime disfigurement or disability and the financial loss to the patient and family or work hours lost caring for an injured child.
Who is at risk?
• 0-4-year-olds have the most accidents at home.3
• Boys are more likely to have accidents than girls. 3
Childhood injuries are closely linked with social deprivation. Children from poorer backgrounds are five times more likely to die as a result of an accident than children from better off families - and the gap is widening. 1
Why do children have accidents?
Because children are often absorbed in their own immediate interests they can be oblivious to their surroundings. They only have a limited perception of the environment because of their lack of experience or development. They are not aware of the consequences of the many new situations that they encounter daily.
Small stature
This may prevent a child from seeing above an obstruction or being seen by an adult.
Inquisitiveness
Curiosity and a spirit of adventure may lead a child into danger.
Bravado and horseplay
Boys are particularly prone to showing off and over reaching their abilities, especially among friends. Many accidents are caused by horseplay involving pushing, shoving and wrestling.
Stress
Tensions at home and emotional upsets caused by temper, jealousy and over excitement may cause a child to run blindly into danger. Such action may even be deliberate to seek attention.
Inexperience
A child's interpretation of a situation may be inaccurate and adults looking after small children should be aware not to expect too much of them.
Inadequate supervision
Children need constant supervision. Medicines, pills and toxic substances should be locked away and fires and stairs should be guarded.