[Child health services bear the main responsibility for the prevention of accidents among children].

Accidents constitute perhaps the greatest threat to children's health today in all the Nordic countries. Considerable knowledge exists regarding the epidemiology of accidents among children, and generally speaking this information forms a good basis for preventive measures. What is needed in addition is a larger number of epidemiological studies on a smaller scale, concentrating on local conditions, since preventive activities on a local and regional level require a knowledge of the local scene with respect to accidents and injuries. In addition, the plans for the prevention of accidents need to be revised and improved. The child health services still play a leading role, but in order to keep risks such as those connected with traffic and drowning under control, parents, organizations and authorities need to be activated. To train parents as child environment ombudsmen might be one solution.