Preschool childhood injuries which need medical care

ABSTRACT

The present work aimed to determine the magnitude of the problem of injuries which need medical care among preschool children, causes and nature of injuries as well as the provided medical care in Alexandria. To accomplish this aim a cross sectional design was used. Thirty clusters were selected. The total number of children in the preschool age was 1147. out of them 179 children fulfilled the inclusion criteria [the total sample size]. The total incidence rate of injuries among preschool children was 15.61% and the total mean age was 2.79 +/- 1.170 years, with male to female ratio of 1.51. the commonest causes of injuries were falls followed by poisoning. About one third of injuries were minor limb injuries in the form of bruises and sprains. Most injuries took place at home. Most parents sought governmental medical services. Complete recovery after treatment represents the main outcome. The majority of parents described injuries in non-rational terms