Pediatric Injuries Requiring Hospitalization in Canada Dropping
Injury is the leading cause of death and disability among children and adolescents in Canada. A new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information indicates that the number of children injured each year in Canada has declined steadily over recent years.
The rate of child injury in 2005–2006 was 36.7 per 10,000 persons, compared to 40.6 per 10,000 persons, in 2001–2002.
The authors of report suggest that the decrease in pediatric injuries could be due to a variety of factors, including:
Improved injury-prevention programs;
Changing practice patterns with changing hospital admission criteria;
Administrative changes; and
Legislation designed to target child safety concerns.
The leading cause of injury was unintentional falls (37%) with double the number of injuries of the second leading cause of injury, car accidents (18%).
