[Epidemiology of accidents in childhood].

Informations about accidental injuries to children were obtained by studying the records, of the year 1983, of the Emergency Department of the Buzzi children hospital of Milan. We have split our study in two periods (winter and summer) because of the different conditions (climatic and social) that we have. 16.858 children presented at hospital during the whole year for various reasons. In autumn-winter months (october-march) 8125 children were seen and 1177 (15%) attended hospital for accidental injury, while during the spring-summer period (april-september) 1790 out of 8733 (20%) children were seen for the same pathology. For each period age and sex of children injured, type and extent of injury and body-site affected by trauma have been evaluated. Males are involved more than females and accidents occurred most frequently during spring and summer time. Traumatic accident is the most frequently observed in both sexes, particularly wounds, contusions and head injuries. Trauma were in the majority of low entity and no death occurred in the population studied. We conclude that there is a need of a prospective epidemiological study, on a nation-wide basis, of childhood accidents in order to evaluate the extent of the problem and to get up prevention on the basis of the risk-factors.