Dubai: The number of children being wheeled into the trauma centre of Rashid Hospital is increasing every month, a senior registrar warned.
He said parental neglect and ignorance are the main reasons the children are being brought into this specialised centre which treats various types of injuries.
About 800 children are brought into the hospital every month, a nurse manager said.
"Every month we get a case of a child falling," said Dr Ramesh Lakkavalli, a specialist at the Centre's surgery ICU (intensive care unit). "A child [up to the age of five years] doesn't understand what will happen when you fall out of a building. There is no understanding of danger."
‘Visual contact'
Jeanette Kruger, nurse manager, said parents need to keep ‘visual contact' with their children at all times. She said the number of car accident victims is increasing because children are not buckled in.
"A lot of these accidents are preventable," she said. "We can work towards reducing the number in our community."
The doctor said parents need to keep a close watch over their children, specially those a year old or more, as that is when babies start to take her first steps and explore around them.
"Don't leave your baby unattended even on the bed or the sofa," he said, as there is a danger of the baby falling and injuring its head, even from a metre high.
A large number of cases of injured children are from road accidents, said the doctor. He said a child's head is usually heavier and when an accident occurs it is the head or neck which is traumatised.
Child seats in cars
"When you suddenly brake the child is thrown around and could hit its head on the door or the seat," the doctor said. He added it is mandatory in the UK and the US for a child under a certain age to be buckled up into a child car seat.
Dr Lakkavalli's advice to parents is to be especially careful with children in a car. He said another dangerous place for children is pedestrian crossings, as motorists usually do not stop at these places.
He said children should not be left without supervision. "We are giving parents guidance on how to anticipate situations [with a child]," he said, speaking about a day-long safety awareness programme held at the hospital yesterday.
The Dubai Foundation for Women and Children also took part in the awareness programme and distributed colourful brochures on child safety.
