The stress of a family move as a precipitating factor in children's burn accidents.

The present study focuses on the stress of a family move as a precipitating factor in children's burn accidents in a group of 330 burned children. Data on the type of burn injury (flame versus scald) and the age and sex of the child were related to the amount and type of family stress which the child and his/her family had experienced. Children in the study sample were found to have moved at approximately three times the rate of children in the general population. It was found that children under five, who were scalded, were more likely to have moved than older children who had sustained a flame burn. A critical period at 2-5 months after the move was identified where the child seemed to be especially vulnerable to burn accidents. Possible explanations for this critical period are suggested.