Ethnic and social factors in toddlers with extensive burns in the Bulgarian paediatric population: problems, dilemmas, solutions.

The treatment of major burns in toddlers is a serious challenge, even for the best physicians. Children's delicate organism decompensates fast and even a small delay or slight mistake in therapy can lead to fatal consequences. The aim of this study is to create a profile for children at risk through a retrospective analysis of ethnic origin, citizenship, lone parent families and age of parent. Demographics, profile of the parent raising the child, burn size, and location of the incident were also recorded. A total of 100 children of both genders, no older than 36 months and treated in the clinic between 2012 and 2019 were included in the analysis. All had burns above 10% and were treated in the intensive care unit: 43% of the children were raised by single mothers, 57% by both parents; 27% of the mothers were minors; 58% were from distant non-urbanised regions; 39% were Bulgarian, 9% Bulgarian-Muslim and 50% gypsies. For 57% of the cases, burn had happened in the kitchen, for 26% in the bathroom and for 17% in other parts of the home. Children at risk come from poor and distant regions, and the suburbs of urban areas. They mostly have lone parents with bad social status and low educational level. That is why lowering the level of household burns is a very hard task. A well-structured national program to educate young parents and parents raising toddlers, and control household conditions is needed.