Conclusions

Significant achievements have been made.
Current priority issues

Significant achievements have been made.

The trends in child injury death indicate that significant achievements have been made. The data and processes used here cannot provide evidence for a causal link between the strategies used over the past decade and the reduction in injury. Much more detailed methods would be required. What is certain is that advances have been made and that these advances have occurred in important priority areas.

A number of priority issues remain. At each stage of development there are specific risks that require attention. As each new generation develops it will be necessary to assist parents to identify risks and to modify environments to reduce them

Current priority issues

The priority ranking presented above indicates the continuing priority of

drowning among the younger age groups
the range of motor vehicle and road related causes across the age range including very young children
burns and scalds from both hot water and house-fires
recreation and leisure related injury especially falls
the need to tackle the rise in injury rates as children enter adolescence.

Priorities that focus on the key injuries at each stage of development are more likely to cover a greater proportion of injuries overall than those that set priorities based on issues that occur across the age range 0 to 14 or even in five year age groups.

Table 6 Rank ordering of detailed cause⁺ and single year of age combination for child injury^*
R
a
n
k Deaths Hospitalisations Bed days Average LOS per injury

Age Cause N % Age Cause N % Age Cause N % Age Cause Mean LOS

1 1 Drowning 128 6.3 1 Hot substance or object, steam 525 1.4 1 Hot substance or object, steam 2751 3.0 0 Water transport 49.0

2 2 Drowning 96 4.7 14 Strike/struck by object or person in sports 463 1.2 14 Motor vehicle traffic 1410 1.6 11 Firearm missile 42.0

3 14 Motor vehicle traffic 91 4.5 2 Poisoning other/unspecified drug, etc 456 1.2 11 Motor vehicle traffic 1347 1.5 13 Clothing ignition 30.0

4 9 Motor vehicle traffic 57 2.8 6 Fall, different level: playground equipment 420 1.1 8 Motor vehicle traffic 1237 1.4 7 Clothing ignition 27.3
5 5 Motor vehicle traffic 56 2.8 7 Fall, different level: playground equipment 400 1.0 10 Motor vehicle traffic 1222 1.3 9 Clothing ignition 26.0
6 3 Drowning 54 2.7 5 Fall, different level: playground equipment 391 1.0 0 Hot substance or object, steam 1048 1.2 7 Aspiration, food 24.0
7 6 Motor vehicle traffic 53 2.6 8 Fall, different level: playground equipment 377 1.0 7 Motor vehicle traffic 1041 1.1 6 Explosion 22.0
8 4 Motor vehicle traffic 50 2.5 13 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 351 0.9 13 Non-motor road vehicle 1010 1.1 8 Explosion 19.7
9 8 Motor vehicle traffic 50 2.5 2 Fall, different level: other 345 0.9 12 Motor vehicle traffic 993 1.1 14 House-fires 19.0
10 10 Motor vehicle traffic 49 2.4 1 Fall, different level: other 335 0.9 0 Child battering/maltreatment interpersonal violence 980 1.1 14 Undetermined intent 18.2
11 3 Motor vehicle traffic 48 2.4 12 Non-motor road vehicle 328 0.8 13 Motor vehicle traffic 942 1.0 13 Water transport 17.5
12 1 Motor vehicle traffic 47 2.3 13 Non-motor road vehicle 318 0.8 9 Motor vehicle traffic 916 1.0 7 Poisoning other/unspecified thermal 17.3
13 2 Motor vehicle traffic 46 2.3 11 Non-motor road vehicle 313 0.8 13 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 915 1.0 3 Same level: collision in sport 17.0
14 7 Motor vehicle traffic 46 2.3 12 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 311 0.8 2 Hot substance or object, steam 911 1.0 6 Child battering/maltreatment 16.0
15 13 Motor vehicle traffic 42 2.1 4 Fall, different level: other 309 0.8 12 Non-motor road vehicle 893 1.0 13 House-fires 16.0
16 12 Motor vehicle traffic 40 2.0 0 Fall, different level: other 303 0.8 0 Fall, different level: other 836 0.9 2 House-fires 15.8
17 0 Motor vehicle traffic 38 1.9 3 Fall, different level: other 303 0.8 14 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 827 0.9 8 Undetermined intent 15.0
18 11 Motor vehicle traffic 37 1.8 1 Poisoning other/unspecified drug, etc 300 0.8 6 Motor vehicle traffic 815 0.9 10 Poisoning other/unspecified thermal 14.8
19 0 Mechanical suffocation 32 1.6 6 Fall, different level: other 296 0.8 11 Non-motor road vehicle 808 0.9 3 House-fires 14.6

20 0 Drowning 27 1.3 5 Fall, different level: other 281 0.7 14 Motor vehicle non-traffic 749 0.8 5 Clothing ignition 14.0

Priority injury total 1087 53 Priority injury total 7125 18 Priority injury total 21651 24
Total 2034 100 Total 38843 100 Total 90715 100 Overall average LOS 2.3

^* Deaths are based on child injury deaths Australia 1990-1994 . Hospitalisations are based on hospital separations occurring in states for which single year of age data were available for 1992-1993 ( NSW Vic SA Tas ACT)
⁺See Data Issues section for definition of major cause groups.

Table 7 Rank ordering of detailed cause⁺ within single year of age for child injury
A
g
e R
a
n
k Deaths Hospitalisations Bed days

Cause N % of cases in age group Cause N % of cases in age group Cause N % of cases in age group

0 1 Motor vehicle traffic 38 19.7 Fall, different level: other 303 18.6 Hot substance or object, steam 1048 18.8

2 Mechanical suffocation 32 16.6 Hot substance or object, steam 240 14.7 Child battering/maltreatment interpersonal violence 980 17.6

3 Drowning 27 14.0 Other non-intentional (incl. unspecified, late effects) 89 5.5 Fall, different level: other 836 15.0

1 1 Drowning 128 41.8 Hot substance or object, steam 525 15.1 Hot substance or object, steam 2751 33.9

2 Motor vehicle traffic 47 15.4 Fall, different level: other 335 9.6 Fall, different level: other 570 7.0

3 Motor vehicle non-traffic 24 7.8 Poisoning other/unspecified drug, etc 300 8.6 Motor vehicle traffic 523 6.4

2 1 Drowning 96 42.1 Poisoning other/unspecified drug, etc 456 13.1 Hot substance or object, steam 911 12.5

2 Motor vehicle traffic 46 20.2 Fall, different level: other 345 9.9 Fall, different level: other 721 9.9

3 House-fires 14 6.1 Other non-intentional (incl. unspecified, late effects) 249 7.2 Motor vehicle traffic 490 6.7

3 1 Drowning 54 31.4 Fall, different level: other 303 11.9 Motor vehicle traffic 700 13.8

2 Motor vehicle traffic 48 27.9 Poisoning other/unspecified drug, etc 207 8.1 Fall, different level: other 618 12.1

3 House-fires 13 7.6 Cutting/piercing 195 7.6 Hot substance or object, steam 382 7.5

4 1 Motor vehicle traffic 50 43.9 Fall, different level: other 309 13.4 Fall, different level: other 449 10.5
2 Drowning 19 16.7 Fall, different level: playground equipment 246 10.7 Motor vehicle traffic 435 10.2
3 House-fires 10 8.8 Other/unspecified fall 211 9.1 Fall, different level: playground equipment 368 8.6

5 1 Motor vehicle traffic 56 49.1 Fall, different level: playground equipment 391 16.2 Motor vehicle traffic 707 13.8
2 Drowning 22 19.3 Fall, different level: other 281 11.6 Fall, different level: playground equipment 609 11.9
3 House-fires 7 6.1 Other/unspecified fall 238 9.8 Non-motor road vehicle 437 8.5

6 1 Motor vehicle traffic 53 48.2 Fall, different level: playground equipment 420 17.3 Motor vehicle traffic 815 16.3
2 Drowning 20 18.2 Fall, different level: other 296 12.2 Fall, different level: playground equipment 566 11.3
3 House-fires 6 5.5 Other/unspecified fall 280 11.6 Other/unspecified fall 564 11.2

7 1 Motor vehicle traffic 46 53.5 Fall, different level: playground equipment 400 16.6 Motor vehicle traffic 1041 17.8

2 Drowning 11 12.8 Fall, different level: other 259 10.8 Fall, different level: playground equipment 618 10.5
3 House-fires 4 4.7 Other/unspecified fall 249 10.3 Non-motor road vehicle 560 9.6

8 1 Motor vehicle traffic 50 53.2 Fall, different level: playground equipment 377 16.0 Motor vehicle traffic 1237 21.1
2 Drowning 10 10.6 Fall, different level: other 253 10.7 Non-motor road vehicle 681 11.6
3 Motor vehicle non-traffic 4 4.3 Other/unspecified fall 229 9.7 Fall, different level: playground equipment 494 8.4

9 1 Motor vehicle traffic 57 57.0 Other/unspecified fall 250 10.8 Motor vehicle traffic 916 17.6
2 Drowning 8 8.0 Fall, different level: playground equipment 243 10.5 Non-motor road vehicle 549 10.5
3 Motor vehicle non-traffic 7 7.0 Non-motor road vehicle 236 10.2 Fall, different level: playground equipment 386 7.4

10 1 Motor vehicle traffic 49 59.8 Other/unspecified fall 270 11.3 Motor vehicle traffic 1222 21.5
2 Drowning 6 7.3 Non-motor road vehicle 268 11.2 Other/unspecified fall 546 9.6
3 Motor vehicle non-traffic 5 6.1 Same level: slip, trip, stumble 188 7.9 Non-motor road vehicle 487 8.6

11 1 Motor vehicle traffic 37 47.4 Non-motor road vehicle 313 12.4 Motor vehicle traffic 1347 21.5
2 Drowning 10 12.8 Other/unspecified fall 238 9.4 Non-motor road vehicle 808 12.9

3 Motor vehicle non-traffic 4 5.1 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 221 8.7 Other/unspecified fall 433 6.9

12 1 Motor vehicle traffic 40 47.6 Non-motor road vehicle 328 12.4 Motor vehicle traffic 993 15.2
2 Other/unspecified interpersonal violence 5 6.0 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 311 11.7 Non-motor road vehicle 893 13.7
3 Drowning 5 6.0 Other/unspecified fall 216 8.1 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 736 11.3

13 1 Motor vehicle traffic 42 42.9 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 351 12.6 Non-motor road vehicle 1010 14.2
2 Mechanical suffocation 8 8.2 Non-motor road vehicle 318 11.4 Motor vehicle traffic 942 13.2
3 Motor vehicle non-traffic 6 6.1 Other non-intentional (incl. unspecified, late effects) 251 9.0 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 915 12.8

14 1 Motor vehicle traffic 91 52.0 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 463 15.0 Motor vehicle traffic 1410 18.2

2 Drowning 11 6.3 Other non-intentional (incl. unspecified, late effects) 281 9.1 Strike/struck by object or person: in sports 827 10.7

3 Hanging suicide 9 5.1 Non-motor road vehicle 278 9.0 Motor vehicle non-traffic 749 9.7

^* Deaths are based on child injury deaths Australia 1990-1994. Hospitalisations are based on hospital separations occurring in states for which single year of age data were available for 1992-1993 ( NSW Vic SA Tas ACT)
⁺See Data Issues section for definition of major cause groups.

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