title: Head and maxillofacial injuries in child and adolescent victims of automotive accidents.
abstract: Victims of motor vehicle accidents may suffer multiple lesions, including maxillofacial injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with head, facial, and maxillofacial injuries in child and adolescent victims of automobile accidents. A cross-sectional study was carried out with analysis of forensic medical reports from the Legal Medical Institute of Campina Grande, Brazil, between January 2008 and December 2011. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was conducted using the chi-square test (α = 0.05). From 1613 medical reports analyzed, the sample is composed 232 (14.4%) reports referring to child and adolescent victims of automobile accidents aged 0-19 years of both sexes. Victims were mostly adolescents aged from 15 to 19 years (64.2%), males (73.7%), and motorcyclists (51.3%). More than half of the victims had single lesions (54.3%) located in the head (20.7%) and face (21.6%). Head injuries occurred more frequently in children aged 0-4 years (53.8%, PR = 5.065, 95% CI = 1.617-5.870) and pedestrians (30.4%, PR = 2.039, 95% CI = 1.024-4.061), while facial and maxillofacial injuries occurred in higher proportion among females (31.1%, PR = 0.489, 95% CI = 0.251-0.954). Our findings suggest that accidents involving motorcyclists are the most prevalent, affecting male adolescents aged from 15 to 19 years, resulting in a high frequency of injuries in the head and face regions.
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Program in Public Health, Centro de Integração Acadêmica, State University of Paraiba, Avenida das Baraúnas 351, 3° Andar/Sala 310, Campus Universitário, S/N, Bodocongo, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alessandro Leite
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Program in Public Health, Centro de Integração Acadêmica, State University of Paraiba, Avenida das Baraúnas 351, 3° Andar/Sala 310, Campus Universitário, S/N, Bodocongo, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Henrique de Araujo
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lino
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Program in Public Health, Centro de Integração Acadêmica, State University of Paraiba, Avenida das Baraúnas 351, 3° Andar/Sala 310, Campus Universitário, S/N, Bodocongo, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thaliny Batista Sarmento
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Post Graduate Program in Public Health, Centro de Integração Acadêmica, State University of Paraiba, Avenida das Baraúnas 351, 3° Andar/Sala 310, Campus Universitário, S/N, Bodocongo, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thaisy Sarmento Batista
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, State University of Paraiba, Avenida das Baraúnas, S/N, Bodocongo, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andreia Medeiros Rodrigues
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, State University of Paraiba, Avenida das Baraúnas, S/N, Bodocongo, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Feliciano
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: de Macedo
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Paraiba, Cidade Universitaria, Castelo Branco, 58051-900 Joao Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wilton Wilney Nascimento
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Padilha
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, State University of Paraiba, Avenida das Baraúnas, S/N, Bodocongo, 58429-500 Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alidianne Fabia Cabral
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Xavier
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008446:Maxillofacial Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult