Factual Survey on the Use of a Nurse's Office for Head, Oral, and Maxillofacial Injuries in a Certain Child Care Center

Abstract

For the prevention of accidents in childcare facilities, we investigated 695 cases of head, oral, and maxillofacial injuries in childcare facilities from 2017 to 2018, and determined the factors associated with the injuries. The following findings were observed.

1. The majority of injuries occurred in four-year-old children. The maximum average number of injuries per person was 3.85 in two-year-old children.

2. The most frequently injured sites were the frontal region in head injuries, the eye in facial injuries, and the lip in oral injuries.

3. Head, face, and oral cavity injuries occurred more frequently in the morning than in the afternoon. Children injured in the morning had a lower mean age than those injured in the afternoon.

4. Indoor injuries were more frequent than outdoor injuries. Most outdoor injuries occurred on the ground, while most indoor injuries occurred in the nursery room.

5. The children with indoor injuries had a lower mean age than those injured outdoors.

6. Bruising was the most common presentation in head, face, and oral cavity injuries.

7. Most injuries happened in March.

8. Oral injuries more frequently occurred outdoors than indoors. Furthermore, injuries were most common among three-year-old children.

These findings determined the most common age, time, place, and site for the occurrence of head, oral, and maxillofacial injuries in childcare centers. Based on the results of this survey, we believe that cooperation with childcare facilities is necessary to develop safety measures and educational activities for head, oral, and maxillofacial injuries.