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in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
According to an Inserm study, more than 550,000 consultations (at a town doctor in France) are linked to an everyday accident in children under 15 years old. Figures which further underline the need for better prevention.
We cannot avoid all the accidents in life. But when it comes to our children, it seems essential to know the potential dangers around them. However, consultations linked to an accident are still frequent today, as revealed by an Inserm study.
City medicine more in demand than emergencies for our children
Everyday life accidents include domestic, sports and leisure accidents, those which occur at school and at any other time in private life. They are the leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 4, and the second cause of death among children aged 5 to 14. To better target prevention actions, the General Directorate of Health has initiated theAVICOU study with the Inserm and Sorbonne University teams Sentinels network.
Conducted from May 2022 to June 2023 among a sample of 162 general practitioners and 31 private pediatricians spread across the entire French territory, the study thus estimates the annual number of consultations in community medicine at more than 550,000. to a daily life accident among children under 15 years old: 476,000 among general practitioners and 77,000 among pediatricians. Three-quarters of cases did not consult emergency services.
Causes that vary depending on age
The study also highlights that the circumstances in which accidents occur follow the major stages of children’s lives. And these outlined general trends:
- Accidents most often occurred at home among children under 10 years old;
- In those aged 10 and over, on the contrary, they occur during outdoor sporting or leisure activities;
- Regardless of age, falls were the main cause of accidents: furniture was most often involved among those under 5 years old. Among those over 5 years old, falls were often spontaneous (during play while tripping);
- Around 80% of consultations for everyday life accidents in children under 15 required a prescription (medication, care, unfitness for sport, absence from school).
Prevention still has progress to make
However, this observational study confirms that the prevention of everyday accidents, to which children are victims, represents a public health issue. “This issue is particularly taken into account in the 2024-2030 roadmap on pediatrics and child health,” indicates Inserm.
In particular, it plans to strengthen the prevention of everyday accidents for children aged 1 to 4 years, to raise awareness among the general public, with specific prevention messages according to age. This is supported by Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of Doctissimo and emergency doctor.
“A global approach combining education, monitoring and environmental safety is necessary today. Parents should make their children aware of potential dangers from an early age, explaining the risks and teaching them safe behaviors. It is also crucial to secure the home by installing protective devices (socket covers, stair gates, corner guards, etc.) and by storing dangerous objects such as medicines or household products out of reach. All these measures do not replace careful supervision, adapted to the age of the child, particularly in risky areas such as the kitchen or the bathroom. Finally, it is recommended that parents train themselves in first aid actions to be able to react effectively in the event of an accident.
To this end, domestic accident prevention tools intended for the general public should be put in everyone’s hands:
Slide: Children: domestic accidents, 10 actions that save