What are the Most Common Causes of Injury in Children?

Anyone with kids knows that littlies have a tendency to hurt themselves – and beyond the little bumps and scrapes, things can get pretty serious. Looking past the anecdotes and mothers’ group chatter and delving into the statistics, one thing certainly becomes clear: there are a large number of preventable deaths that occur each year.

According to Kidsafe, an Australian not-for-profit organisation that was set up to help prevent injuries and deaths in children, about 350 children are killed each year and more than 60,000 are hospitalised as a direct result of accidents. And a 2009 report published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggested that young boys were overall 80 per cent more likely to die from injury than young girls.

The good news, however, is that you can take steps to make sure your child is safe and, in the event of an accident, you know what to do.

Car accidents

It’s probably no shock that the greatest number of fatal injuries to children occur as a result of traffic accidents, where the kids are either pedestrians or passengers. Even with the stringent laws governing the use of child restraints in Australia, the number of children injured or killed each year on our roads is still quite high.

The reason for this could have something to do with what the RACV alarmingly reports – that around 70 per cent of all child restraints are fitted incorrectly, and a restraint not fitted properly can result in serious injury or even death in the event of a crash.

The experts recommend that parents have their children’s car seats professionally installed and inspected regularly, to ensure that the anchor points and harness straps are all in good working order, and that the seat or capsule itself is still securely fitted.

If you’re unsure how to fit your child’s restraint correctly, many baby-goods retailers and motorists’ associations have experts who will, for a fee, check or fit it for you.

Drownings

Drowning accounts for the majority of accidental deaths in kids under the age of five in Australia – and a vast number of these drownings occur in the bath. According to Kids Alive, a community service program dedicated to reducing drowning deaths in children, a child drowns at least once a week, on average, in Australia.

The experts at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in NSW recommend the following to reduce the risk of drowning:

1. Always supervise your child whenever she is in or around water. That means staying within arm’s reach and not turning your back on her, even for a minute. If the phone rings, leave it – it’s easier to call someone back than it is to resuscitate a drowned child.

2. Never leave an older child in charge of a younger one, no matter how confident you are in the older child’s ability to watch the little one.

3. If you have a backyard pool, make sure it’s fenced properly and that the gate has a child-proof lock.

4. Learn CPR – it could save a child’s life one day. You can book a training course with St John Ambulance Australia (www.stjohn.org.au) or the Australian Red Cross (www.redcross.org.au).

5. Also keep in mind that kids can drown in only a tiny amount of water, so don’t leave buckets of water or items that could fill up with rainwater hanging around.

Falls

Fall-related injuries are the most common childhood injuries – and the real problem here is that young ones have a tendency to topple over without any notice, so accidents can be tricky to prevent. However, there are steps you can take to limit the possibility of a fall requiring a trip to the hospital.

1. When your littlie is playing, make sure you’re supervising. We’re not suggesting you hover over your child every single second of the day, nor wrap her in cotton wool, but when she is playing, particularly on playground equipment or in any situation where she may fall a significant distance, you should be keeping your eyes peeled.

2. If you’re considering purchasing a scooter or small bike for your toddler, make sure you buy her the whole present, and not just the ‘fun’ part – and that means a helmet that meets Aussie safety standards, knee pads and elbow pads as a minimum.

3. If your child does have a heavy fall, the signs to check for immediately are any change in her level of alertness, sudden sleepiness, a bad headache, confusion, vomiting or a seizure. These are common symptoms of a serious concussion, which requires medical attention.

Poisonings

1. Because kids are fond of exploring and tend to test things out by putting them in their mouths, poisoning is an all-too-common occurrence. According to NPS Medicinewise, 18,000 Australian children are treated for poisoning each year. Common household items are usually the culprits, particularly medicines.

2. If you suspect that your child may have ingested something she shouldn’t have, you should immediately call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

3. The well-trained staff have access to a database of information and will tell you exactly what you need to do in the event of a poisoning.
Prevention, of course, is far better than a cure. This means that your home should be a safe haven and anything that could harm your little one – be it medication, cleaning products or any of the other myriad of substances that could prove toxic to youngsters – should be kept locked and high away from your curious little person.

Burns and scalds

Every year in Australia, a large number of littlies are hospitalised with serious burns or scalds, the vast majority of which occur in the home.

1. In most Australian houses, the temperature of the water from the hot tap is about 65°C, which is more than enough to scald the skin of a child in seconds. It’s worth getting your hot water checked by an expert and, if your system is suitable, having the temperature of the hot water lowered to around 50°C.

2. One of the most common scalding incidents occurs when kids grab the handles of pots and pans on the stove – which means that you should always closely supervise your littlie when she’s in the kitchen and make sure any handles aren’t sticking out where her little hands can grab them.

3. Endeavour to dress your child in clothes that are rated for low fire danger. And, of course, ensure that cigarette lighters, matches and other flammable objects are locked away from prying little fingers.

4. According to the Raising Children Network of Australia, in the event of a burning or scalding accident, you should always seek medical advice if a burn or scald is larger than a 20-cent piece, if the burn site looks raw or blistered, or if the pain is severe or persists beyond a reasonable time frame.

5. If the burn is larger than your child’s hand, or is on her face,neck or genitals, call an ambulance and get to the hospital.