Objective: Pediatric head trauma is one of the leading causes of childhood death. However, it is possible to reduce deaths with measures to be taken. Since it is important to educate the person(s) responsible for the care of the child and for whom the education should be applied first, we aimed to conduct a study to shed light on this situation.
Methods: 14,243 patients aged 0-6 years admitted to the emergency department with head trauma were included in the study. Apart from the routine parameters, who was responsible for the care of the patient during the trauma was questioned. It was investigated whether there was a correlation between the person(s) who took care of the patient and the severity of the trauma.
Results: It was determined that patients in all age groups were predominantly under maternal supervision. For the remaining patients, older siblings and fathers in younger age groups; in older age groups, grandmother, grandmother and grandfather played the role of caregiver. Non-family persons, who constitute a very small group in caregiving, show an equal distribution for age groups. The incidence of moderate head trauma was found to be higher in patients who were cared for by third parties, compared to other caregiver groups (p<0.05). No relationship was found between the mild and severe head trauma and caregiver groups.
Conclusion: Mortality and morbidity rates due to pediatric head trauma are high. It is possible to prevent traumas with the education of caregivers. Clinical experiences can provide guidance on what kind of training programs will be prepared and which groups of caregivers will receive these training primarily.