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Action Research on Prevention of Unintentional Injuries among Children in Mumbai

Safe Kids Foundation is a premier organization in the field of creating and increasing awareness about the causes of preventable and unintentional injuries to children.  Safe Kids Foundation has based and developed its programs on available data. Safe Kids Foundation also assigned Research Unit College of Social Work the task of conducting research on unintentional injuries to children in Mumbai.

According to the study children are more vulnerable to injuries compared to adults because:

1. They are physically weaker compared to adults.
2. They are not able to identify potential risks.
3. They lack sense of judgment.
4. They innocently idolise television/films/cartoon heroes.

According to the study the leading causes of unintentional injury among children are:

1.Cuts and bruises.

2.Falls from height.

3.Road accidents including child as a pedestrian.

4.Burn accidents (thermal, chemical, electrical)

5.Choking, suffocation and food poisoning

Children are more accident prone at, in and around the following areas:

1.Slum areas/low socio-economic area/roadside shanties.

2.Highways/traffic junctions.

3.Areas with large number of pedestrian, high population density.

4. Areas around schools, playgrounds, etc.

Children are also more prone to accidents during monsoons, school vacations and festive seasons. For example there are more road accidents during monsoons due to low visibility and slippery or flooded roads, burn injuries during Diwali (festival of lights), falls during Janmashtami(festival involving formation of human pyramids) and Makar Sankrati(festival during which children fly kites from roof-tops and terraces) and drowning during Ganesh  festival (Ganesh idol is immersed into the sea at the conclusion of the festival).  

Common Causes of Accidents 

Accidents on the Road 

  • Driver of the vehicle not following traffic rules.
  • Riding pillion on the two-wheeler without helmet.
  • Collision with other vehicle.
  • Bad conditions of the road.
  • Pedestrians not following road safety rules.
  • Hawkers blocking the roads.

 Railway  Accidents 

  • Overcrowded trains.
  • Leaning out of trains.
  • Crossing railway tracks .

 Drowning

  • Absence of lifeguards at swimming pools/beaches.
  • Children falling into uncovered drains, ditches and stagnant pools.

Burns  

  • Children playing with fireworks, matchsticks and candles.
  • Electrocution caused by live wires specially when they come in contact with water.

Falls

  • Lack of security railings at windows, balconies or terraces.
  • Unsafe play equipment.
  • Uncovered pits/manholes.
  • Imitating film/television/cartoon heroes.
  • Festivals like Makar Sankrati (festival during which children fly kites from roof-tops and terraces), and Janmashtami (festival involving formation of human pyramids).