Abstract

Aims. The aims of the study were 1) to offer insight into the peculiarities of injuries in up to 14-year-old children; 2) to clarify mothers’ supervision behaviours relevant to child injury risk using parents` interviews and 3)to identify the sources of information on prevention issuses for parents.

Methods. The hospital administrative database was used and a special questionnaire was developed for the study by adapting the Canadian Parent Supervision Attributes Profile Questionnaire (PSAPQ).

Results. Altogether 1071 injured children were hospitalized in Tallinn Children’s Hospital in 2010. Among them 47.3% were children up to five years old. In the first year of life superficial injuries of the head occurred in almost half the children, among them concussion or commotio cerebri in one fifth and fracture of the skull in almost one fifth. Concussion or commotio cerebri in 1-5- year-old children occurred in one third of the patients. Falling was the main cause of injury, followed by burns. Only 15.1% of the parents reported physical closeness with the child. One fourth of the mothers had been counselled for prevention by the family doctor/nurse.