THE consequences of childhood accidents can have a life-long impact upon families.

Whether the death of a child or a serious injury, the effects continue to be felt decades later.

The latest mortality figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that accidents remain the biggest cause of death of children and young people aged from 0 to 19 years.

Across the UK in 2015, accidents claimed the lives of 405 individuals in this age group, ahead of congenital conditions with 385 and cancer, at 370.

Yet most parents across the UK are unaware of this fact, according to research carried out for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

While nearly one in three parents - 30 per cent - correctly identified that accidents are the top killer in this age group, the majority (61 per cent) thought other causes of death, including cancer or intentional self-harm/suicide, were most prevalent or said they did not know what caused the most deaths.

The figures were mirrored in Yorkshire and Humberside, where more than half - 54 per cent - thought that other causes of death were most prevalent.

Despite the mortality rate, the YouGov survey of 1,007 parents of children aged 18 and under across the UK also found that nearly a third of parents have never received or sought advice or information about keeping their children safe from accidents. But more than half agreed that there should be more information and advice for and that it should be easier to find and understand.

In Bradford, much work is being carried in this area, with health visitors - who support parents from the birth of their child to their starting school - playing a key role.

Deborah Henson, team leader for the Health Visiting Service at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, says: “Health visitors provide expert advice and guidance to support parents in developing skills which help children to develop in a safe and healthy way. Safety advice given during home visits can be particularly effective as it is tailored to the families' individual living environments."

Research shows that for families with an increased risk of accidents such as those living in areas of deprivation home visiting can reduce the risk of accidental injury by more than a quarter.

“Health visitors take their role in accident prevention in Bradford very seriously in order to try and improve outcomes for babies and children,” says Deborah.

“As more accidents happen in the home than anywhere else, they are in a prime position to deliver messages that will reduce the number of accidents resulting in serious injury or death.”

The analysis of national data identifies that five injury types could be prioritised: choking, suffocation and strangulation; falls; poisoning; burns and scalds; and drowning.

“Focusing on five kinds of injuries for the under-fives makes sense,” says Deborah.

“There is a strong argument to focus on tackling the leading, preventable causes of death and serious long-term harm.”

She adds: “It’s natural for parents to worry about accidents in the home. The best way to prevent them is by putting in place safety measures such as stair gates and fire guards. A large part of the health visitor’s role is to help parents understand accidents and how they can be prevented.”

Health visiting teams in Bradford work closely with other agencies such as children’s centres and the fire service to provide up-to-date safety advice to pass on to families.

Advice is given from the first contact they have with families - often in the antenatal period - and on subsequent visits, taking into account the age of the babies and children they are visiting.

Families are given support to source safety equipment and are referred to the fire service for smoke alarms and a general home safety check.

The preventative measures can be put into practice by parents and carers in their homes.

“The potential consequences of not using the advice offered is explored with families in order to help them understand the importance of the messages,” says Deborah.

“Bradford is a densely populated area with high levels of deprivation. This makes the role of the health visitor very pertinent in respect of accident prevention in the home.”

As well as home visits, information can also be give over the phone or sent in the post.

  • If you have a child between birth and five years-old and would like further information, visit bdct.nhs.uk/healthvisiting or call 01274 221223.