[Epidemiology of injuries in toddlers and infants [6-24 months]]

ABSTRACT

Injury is a leading cause for morbidity and mortality in otherwise healthy children. There are few data [especially in Iran] about epidemiology and incidence of injury in the first two years of life. This research was a cross sectional descriptive study on a group of 1000 infants [6-24 months old], from all the health care centers in Mashhad, who were evaluated about the history of any kind of injury since birth. The study was performed in autumn of 2004. The mean age of the study group was 13.8 +/- 7.8 months. During this time 55.7% of the infants had experienced some kind of injury. The occurred injuries in order of frequency were Falls [13.4%], Chocking due to foreign body aspiration [12.8%], Cuts and lacerations [11.9%], Burning [10.9%], Poisoning [3.9%] Traffic accidents [1.5%] Drowning [0.7%] and electrical injuries [0.6%]. Overall fifty infants [5%] in our group were visited [for accident] in an office by a doctor, which burning [with 16 outpatient visits] was the most common injury in this group. There was history of 80 hospital admission in the study group but only seven of them were due to accidents, and poisoning in three cases was the most common causes of injury related admission. The periodic prevalence of injuries in our study group was 55.7%. Falls, Chocking [due to foreign body aspiration], Cuts and burns were [in order of frequency] the most common types of the injuries in infants of Mashhad. Injury was not a significant cause for hospital admission in this age group