One in six three-year-olds has had an accident or injury requiring hospital treatment or admission, a new report estimates.
The prevalence of injuries and accidents was higher among boys compared with girls, and among households with other children and one parent, according to the report by the Institute of Public Health.
It was also higher among children cared for by someone with a long-standing health condition and among children cared for by people with lower levels of education.
When these characteristics combined, they resulted in much higher rates of injury, the report found. The lowest child injury rates were found in two-parent households where the primary carer did not have a long-standing condition. No significant geographical variations were detected.
The results are in line with international trends which show higher rates of injury among boys than girls, and among children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. They are also consistent with international research demonstrating the large burden that child injuries place on healthcare systems.
Jude Cosgrove, analyst with the institute, said the figures showed injuries requiring hospital treatment or admission were relatively common among three-year-olds in the Republic.
The report recommends a comprehensive review of the data and suggests the need for targeted injury-prevention measures that take into account children’s home and local environments.
A separate report published by the institute on the health of seven-year-olds in Northern Ireland found over half have one or more long-standing health conditions. Asthma (22.9 per cent) and eczema (26 per cent) were the most common conditions reported by carers, followed by sight issues (16.8 per cent) and hearing problems (8.3 per cent).
