ISPUB.COM The Internet Journal of Family Practice Volume 7 Number 1 1 of 7 Risk of domestic accidents among under five children V Chaudhari, R Srivastava, M Moitra, V Desai Citation V Chaudhari, R Srivastava, M Moitra, V Desai. Risk of domestic accidents among under five children. The Internet Journal of Family Practice. 2008 Volume 7 Number 1. Abstract This is a cross sectional study. The study areas were selected by the method of two-stage sampling in urban area of Gujarat State (India). A total of 600 households were studied from both areas and thus 788 children aged less than five years were contacted and evaluated to measure the risk of domestic accidents. History of Unintentional injuries (Traffic injuries, poisoning, falls, fire & burn injuries, drowning, animal bite) and Intentional injuries: (Interpersonal violence, homicide, sexual assault, neglect & abandonment), suicide, collective violence (war) among under five children till the day of the interview was studied. The fire, electric appliances, households chemical within reach of the under five children and material which can fall on the child was also observed on the day of the survey. INTRODUCTION A child's community includes a number of places- playgrounds, gardens, fields, ponds, rivers or waste dumps, but their relative importance depends on a child's way of life. For instance, millions of children throughout the world live on the street and are vulnerable to a myriad of hazards including violence and unintentional injury as well as environmental risks such as infection from scavenging on waste dumps. 1 Many environmental threats to children's health are aggravated by persistent poverty, conflicts, natural and man- made disasters, and social inequity. The children worst affected are those in the developing world but there are many children in the more developed, even the richest, countries, who are also at risk. 1 Today's “modern” risks result from the unsafe use of dangerous chemicals, the inadequate disposal of toxic waste and other environmental hazards, noise and industrial pollution. Unsafe chemicals in toys and household products may also harm children. “Emerging” potential environmental threats to health include global climate change, ozone depletion, contamination by persistent organic pollutants and chemicals and other hazards, and emerging diseases. 1 Children are often exposed not just to one risk factor at a time but to several simultaneously. They frequently live in unsafe and crowded settlements, in underserved rural areas or in slums on the edges of cities, which lack access to basic services such as water and sanitation, electricity, or heath care. They are likely to be exposed to industrial and vehicle pollution as well as to indoor air pollution and to unsafe chemicals. Children are also likely to suffer from unintentional injuries (accidents) and poisonings associated with unsafe housing and consumer products. They are more likely to be undernourished, causing them to be more vulnerable to environmental threats. 1 The biggest threats to children's health lurk in the very places that should be safest-home, school and community. Every year over 5 million children ages 0 to 14 die, mainly in the developing world, from diseases related to their environments-the places where they live, learn and play. 1 Strategies have been developed to combat these threats to children's health. They need to be implemented on a global and national scale. So the World Health Day-2003 was dedicated to “Healthy Environment for Children”. In September 2002, WHO launched the Healthy Environment for Children Initiative. They are now working with different groups around the world to turn this initiative into a vibrant, global alliance which will be capable of mobilizing local support and intervening to make children's lives healthier where they live, learn and play. 1 That is why; this study was carried out to assess the domestic accidents among under five children in Surat city so that suitable recommendations can be suggested for prevention of morbidity and mortality among them.