The prevention of childhood unintentional injury

Abstract 

Unintentional injury is the main cause of death and a major cause of ill health and disability in childhood. A steeper social gradient is found for injury than any other cause of death. Children are particularly vulnerable to injury because of their physical, psychological and behavioural characteristics.

However, injuries can be prevented or reduced in severity by a variety of methods: education and training, provision of safety devices, environmental modification and legislation and its enforcement. A combination of methods is often important.

Paediatricians have an important role to play in the prevention of childhood injuries: in data collection, individual education and counselling and in advocacy.

Keywords: unintentional injury, child development, deprivation, prevention, advocacy

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• f1 Correspondence to: ET. Tel: + 0191-477-6000; fax: + 0191-477-0370; E-mail: E.L.M.Towner@ncl.ac.uk