Forensic and forensic aspects of childhood traumatism as a result of domestic injuries and traffic accidents: A review

Abstract

Childhood injuries are a major cause of death and disability worldwide, particularly in low-, and middle-income countries. Recent data showed that about 5 million children die from injuries per year. About 1 million children under 18 years old die of injury and more than 2000 children die per day, of which child injuries account for 5.4% (265 000348 000) of child deaths annually worldwide. A detailed analysis of the epidemiology of childhood injuries can provide possible insights into their prevention and early intervention to reduce future disability due to childhood injuries. In this review, the specificity of childhood body injuries in accidents and road traffic accidents and their qualitative differences from adult injuries were investigated, and current techniques for the detection, fixation, and recovery of childhood body trauma were reviewed through forensic investigation. A literature search was conducted in the Pubmed, Scopus, Ebscohost, Medline, The Cochrane Library, SpringerLink, Web of Knowledge, Paragraph Medicine, and ScienceDirect databases to identify published studies for the last 20 years: from 1993 to 2023. Inclusion criteria were reports of randomized and cohort studies conducted on large populations, meta-analyses and systematic reviews, and articles in English, and Russian. Exclusion criteria were articles describing single cases and case series, published earlier than 1993, materials with no evidence base, abstracts of reports, abstracts, and newspaper articles. Out of 56 literature sources, 44 were selected as an analytical material for this article. The literature review demonstrated that the absolute number of major childhood injuries has not declined over the past decade. Road traffic crashes remain the leading cause of injury and death in children. Adolescents are at greatest risk of serious injuries. Appropriate use of child restraints and safety equipment remains a key factor of the prevention. The adaptation of the urban environment is also a promising approach to child injury prevention among pedestrians and cyclists. As the social environment is a strong determinant of collisions, new road safety interventions must be implemented and evaluated with equity in mind to ensure safe roads for all.