Maximum child injuries occur in nuclear families: Study

Increase in nuclear families in metropolitan cities is making children more prone to preventable unintentional injuries such as accidents, burns and falls as they are devoid of ample attention.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), childhood injuries are categorised as unintentional but preventable, and intentional such as violence, homicide and abuse.

A study conducted by the Centre for Community Medicine and Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has identified accidental falls, followed by dog bites and road traffic accidents, as the most common reasons for childhood injuries, and pointed out lack of time and psycho-social support to growing children.

The study, published in the latest issue of Indian Journal of Community Medicine, was done in urban Delhi, among 1,639 children, aged less than 18 years and the prevalence of injuries was found to be 7.1 per cent. The survey area was Dakshinpuri Extension, Dr Ambedkar Nagar, New Delhi.

"It was done to assess the prevalence of unintentional childhood injuries in an urban locality and to determine various socio-demographic factors associated with childhood injuries. Among 1,639 children, mostly living in nuclear families, 102 suffered 116 episodes of various types of injuries in the last one year. The prevalence was more in boys (8.4 per cent) than girls (5.1 per cent). Accidental falls (37.1 per cent), dog bites (25 per cent), and road traffic injuries (18.9 per cent) were the three most common reasons. Of the 116 episodes, 43 per cent occurred at home, followed by road and playground," said Baridalyne Nongkynrih, author of the study.

"These findings suggest that there is a family-related psychosocial association with the incidence of childhood injuries. Nuclear families tend to have less care and low psycho-social support as compared to joint families, which tend to provide more care, attention, and psycho-social support to growing children in the family," Nongkynrih said in the study.

In the study, childhood injuries were categorised broadly under road traffic injuries, accidental falls, burns, dog bites, poisoning, and miscellaneous injuries. Interestingly, most cases were handled at home with home remedies.

For 53 per cent injuries, home remedy, that included turmeric paste for swelling and chilli powder application for dog bites, was the first resort. Around 63 per cent were taken to the emergency facility in case of accidental falls. A scientific methodology called as Chi Square method, along with medical analysis and logistical regression method, was used for the study.

The study also depicts how childhood injuries cause loss of school attendance and financial burden to the family. "Overall, because of injuries, a child had to take sick leave from school for an average of 7 days with a range of 1–50 days. Absence from school was the maximum for road traffic injuries, which was an average of 17.6 days," the study said.

"Two-thirds of the children with injuries were taken to the emergency facility for treatment while 40 per cent resorted to home remedies. Treatment expenses in some families led to the need for borrowing money, additional employment by another family member, and selling of household assets," the study stated.

"Nowadays, people want to live in nuclear families but their children pay the price for this. Children in nuclear families are less cared for and thus have lesser bonding with parents. Staying alone most of the time make them more prone to injuries and accidents," said Dr Anjan Prakash, Consultant, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Childhood injury is a major public health problem that requires urgent attention. It is a major killer of children throughout the world, responsible for about 9,50,000 deaths of young people under the age of 18 years each year. Unintentional injuries account for almost 90 per cent of these cases. They are the leading cause of death for children aged 10-19 years.