Childhood Injuries: Serious Disparities Between Affluent And Deprived

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Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Aid / Disasters;  Public Health
Article Date: 16 Jun 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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In poorer areas of England, the serious injury rates in child pedestrians are four times that of children in affluent areas, according to research released on April 1, 2008 in the BMJ specialist journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The researchers analyzed hospital admission rates for children 15 years old and younger between the years of 1999 and 2004. During this period, approximately 664,000 children were admitted to the hospital, and of these almost 8,000 came in with serious injuries. These were classified into one of the following groups: neck and thigh fractures, multiple rib fractures, head injuries, neural and spinal cord injuries, suffocation, or hypothermia.

They found that, while falls were responsible for more than 33% of all admissions, they accounted for more than 40% of all serious injuries. Children in more deprived areas of the country had four times the likelihood to be injured as pedestrians than children living in the most affluent areas of the country. Additionally, cyclists, car passengers, and children who survived a fall were twice as likely to be seriously injured if they were from poorer areas than their affluent counterparts.

In general, the rates of serious injury for child pedestrians were higher in cities than in towns and villages, but this trend showed significant variation. For instance, the serious injury sustained by child bicyclists was 22% lower in London than it was in other cities. Children in cars were 50% more likely to sustain serious injuries in villages than in cities. Compared to most major urban areas, the serious injuries related to falls were much higher in London, by 60%, and 20% lower in villages. 

According to the authors, the deaths related to childhood injuries have fallen over the past 20 years. While they began at 11 for every 100,000 children, it has dropped to 4 in 100,000. However, the inequalities between rich and poor children remain.

Serious injuries in children: variation by area deprivation and settlement type
P Edwards, J Green, K Lachowycz, C Grundy, I Roberts
Online First Arch Dis Child 2008;
doi 10.1136./adc.2007.116541
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Written by Anna Sophia McKenney
Copyright: Medical News Today
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