Pediatric maxillofacial trauma: Epidemiologic study between the years 2012 and 2015 in an Israeli medical center

Background/Aim: Trauma is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population worldwide, and Israel is no different in this aspect. Of these injuries, craniofacial trauma is a significant cause of morbidity in the pediatric population. The high occurrence of pediatric trauma is possibly related to a lower perception for the hazards that surround them, combined with the restless and adventurous nature that is typical of children. The aim was to perform a retrospective, epidemiological study on facial trauma in children examined in the emergency room in order to analyze the different patterns in pediatric maxillofacial trauma, to emphasize this data and educate those involved in preventing and treating children’s injuries. Materials and Methods: The database of pediatric maxillofacial trauma patients younger than 18 years registered at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya during a period of 4 years (2012-2015) was reviewed and examined. The data collected were analyzed for each year separately and then comparisons and cross sections were made. Results: This study examined 3034 files of pediatric maxillofacial and head trauma patients aged under 18. The comparison of frequency of the injuries between seasons reveals more injuries occur in the summer and 69.3% of the injuries occurred in boys. Average age was 6.5 years, with the most prevalent group being 0-5 years. The most common type of injury was blunt head trauma followed by facial lacerations and dental injuries. Most (84.5%) of the injuries occurred outside the education system. The number of injuries at the Arab villages was higher than in the Jewish villages. Conclusion: There is a marked difference in the injured children population with an increase incidence in the Arab child population and children under the age of 6.