With the aim of understanding the leading causes and trends of paediatric trauma in the Kingdom of Bahrain, a group of students from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Medical University in Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain) conducted a three-month study at the Emergency Departments of Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) and Bahrain Defence Force Hospital (BDF), highlighting the dangers of not adhering to basic safety measures with children’s’ lives.

The study was led by Jay C. Liu Jr, senior student from the School of Medicine, along with his colleagues Ayesha Zaidi, Aieshah A. Ismael, Ban W. Sha’ban and Brock Tompkins, and supervised by Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at RCSI Bahrain, Professor Martin Corbally. The research assessed the condition of 1,328 children under the age of 14 who have visited the emergency departments for trauma in the duration of three months.

Of the 1,328 children, 753 suffered from injuries related to falls, 79 were involved in car accidents or were pedestrians struck by vehicles, and the remaining suffered from a variety of other injuries. For children who were in car accidents, 92.5% were not wearing seatbelts and 12.8% were ejected from the cabin of the vehicle. The study also revealed that six children were victims of drowning or near drowning and six children passed away during the study period due to trauma related to either road traffic accidents or drowning.

The results of the study concluded that only 7.7% of children use seat belts and that a major cause of road traffic accidents is children being struck by vehicles. Recommendations from the study emphasised the importance and effectiveness of using seatbelts to save lives and prevent death during road traffic accidents. Parents and children are also advised to be cautious and obey traffic signals and walk signs, and to use sidewalks to avoid accidents as pedestrians. As for any water activities, drownings are avoidable by maintaining constant adult supervision, pool isolation and installing fences, using personal flotation devices and receiving swimming education.

President of RCSI Bahrain, Professor Sameer Otoom commented: “RCSI Bahrain students have been playing an important role in supporting the ongoing research efforts in the Kingdom. The research conducted by our students and supported by professionals and healthcare workers from our partner hospitals, showed that adhering to simple measures can have a great impact on the lives of children and their families. At RCSI Bahrain, we recognise the importance of constant research to enhance patient care as well as contribute to spreading awareness on preventative measures to improve people’s lives in Bahrain and beyond.”