Childhood accidents in Dar es Salaam.

Childhood accidents in Dar es Salaam are among the ten top causes of morbidity. After eradication of protein energy malnutrition and infectious disease, accidents will be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality as it has occurred in developed countries. Accidents were the fifth cause of admission into paediatric wards totalling 589 cases out of 12,375 admissions. Of the accident cases, 37% were due to poisoning; 27% to trauma; 24% to burns; 7% to foreign bodies and 6% to other causes. Lack of parental care, low socio-economic status and large families were among important causal factors. There is need to create awareness of hazards of accidents to prevent these unnecessary accidents of childhood.