Specificity of injuries in child pedestrians of different age categories due to motor vehicle trauma
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15574/SP.2026.1(153).141145Keywords:
pediatric trauma, motor vehicle accidents, child pedestrians, injury mechanisms, age groups, forensic medical examinationAbstract
Motor vehicle accidents involving child pedestrians remain one of the leading causes of trauma and mortality in the pediatric population. The specific mechanisms of injury formation in child pedestrians require detailed analysis considering age-related anatomical and physiological characteristics.
Aim - to determine the leading mechanisms of injury formation and age-specific patterns of bodily injuries in child pedestrians of different age groups resulting from contact with moving vehicles, in order to provide an evidence base for developing age-differentiated protocols for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of motor vehicle trauma in the pediatric population.
Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of forensic medical data, including photoroentgenograms and computed tomography results, was conducted in 87 children aged 2-18 years during 2014-2024. Four age groups were formed: group 1 (2-6 years, n=23), group 2 (7-9 years, n=18), group 3 (10-13 years, n=24), group 4 (14-18 years, n=22).
Results. Males predominated among the victims (63.2%). The highest mortality was recorded in group 4 (18.2%), and the lowest in group 2 (5.6%). The most frequent injuries were traumatic brain injuries (81.6%), lower extremity injuries (55.2%), and upper extremity injuries (54.0%). A statistically significant predominance of abdominal injuries was observed in the youngest children, and thoracic injuries in adolescents.
Conclusions. Statistically significant age-related injury patterns were established: children aged 2-6 years had an increased risk of abdominal injuries, children aged 7-13 years showed predominance of extremity injuries, adolescents aged 14-18 years had the highest mortality and thoracic injuries. These results provide an evidence base for developing age-specific protocols for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of motor vehicle trauma in children.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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