BackgroundTrauma is reported to be

Background
Trauma is reported to be an important cause of childhood morbidity, and mortality in developed countries while causing an increasing loss of life in developing countries [1]. In the United States, over 1.5 million childhood traumas occur annually, resulting in approximately 600 000 hospitalizations and 15 000–20 000 paediatric deaths each year [2]. In the European region, injuries account for 23% of deaths from all causes and 19% of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from all causes in the age group 0–19 years
[3]. In Africa, the true incidence is not known but injuries have been estimated to account for 13% of childhood disease burden and nearly 1million deaths occur per
year in developing countries, including Africa [4,5]. In Tanzania, like other developing countries, injuries constitute a major but neglected public health problem and yet have a significant adverse effect on the country’s economy and health services in terms of morbidity, mortality and long term disability among paediatric population [6].
Paediatric injuries are a single commonest cause of paediatric surgical admissions at Bugando Medical Centre and contribute significantly to high morbidity and mortality.