The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) promotes optimal health for children through advocacy and education. One mechanism for achieving this goal is the adoption of injury prevention strategies. NAPNAP believes that unintentional injuries are not “accidents” but are phenomena that may be predicted and prevented by changing environments, behaviors, products, social norms, laws, and health care policies.
Childhood injury claims more lives than all childhood diseases combined. Unintentional injury is the leading cause of medical spending for children ages 5 to 14 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2004), with identified disparities in injury rates between White and minority children (Hayes & Groner, 2005). Furthermore, unintentional injury of children negatively affects their quality of life. The most frequent causes of unintentional injury among U.S. children are motor vehicle collisions (Glassbrenner, 2005) and falls, together accounting for almost 40% of unintentional injuries to U.S. children annually (CDC, 2007). Yet, it has been estimated that effective intervention strategies can prevent as many as 90% of unintentional injuries (National SAFE KIDS Campaign, 2004). Given the great burden of these injuries on the health of American children, NAPNAP recommends that health care providers use every health care visit as an opportunity to discuss injury prevention strategies with children and parents or caregivers and to advocate for safer environments and products for children.
Health care providers must be able to identify those children at greatest risk for injury. Although unintentional injuries can happen to any child, statistically, boys, young children, children from lower socioeconomic groups, and children with single parents have the highest injury rates (CDC, 2007).
NAPNAP promotes that all health care providers caring for children:
1.Provide anticipatory guidance on injury prevention at each well visit and when additional opportunities arise.
2.Assess every child for injury risk, addressing risk factors and preventive strategies for the individual, family, and community.
3.Increase awareness of parents/caregivers, child care providers, and other professionals about pediatric injury risk, consequences, and prevention.
4.Support legislation that targets injury prevention.
5.Collaborate with other organizations, public agencies, and community groups to increase public awareness of pediatric injury risk, consequences, and prevention.
6.Provide education to families that is evidence-based, developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and at an appropriate reading level.
7.Seek funding through donations, grants, and other philanthropic endeavors for safety devices including, but not limited to, bicycle/skating helmets, car seats, and other safety devices to be distributed to children and families with limited financial resources.
In summary, NAPNAP maintains a strong resolve to be the leader in promoting best practice in injury prevention, thereby increasing the safety and well-being of all children. NAPNAP is committed to eliminating health and safety disparities and preventing unintentional pediatric injuries.
NAPNAP is an organization whose mission is to promote optimal health for children through leadership, practice, advocacy, education, and research.
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners would like to acknowledge the contribution of the Injury Education and Prevention Special Interest Group and following members for their contribution to this statement: Bonnie Lovette, MS, RN, PNP; W. Lawrence Daniels, PhD, RN, CPNP; Dawn Lee Garzon, PhD, APRN, BC, CPNP; Susan Katz, MS, RN, PN; Lynnette Lorch, MS, CPNP; Dolores Jones, EdD, RN, CPNP (Staff).
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2004. 1.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medical expenditures attributable to injuries—United States (2000). MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2004;53:1–4.
Glassbrenner 2005. 3.Glassbrenner D. Child restraint use in 2004: Overall results (DOT HS 809 845). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2005;.
Hayes and Groner 2005. 4.Hayes JR, Groner JL. Minority status and the risk of serious childhood injury and death. Journal of the National Medical Association. 2005;97:362–369. MEDLINE
Adopted by the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners' Executive Board on January 24, 2008.
All regular position statements from the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners automatically expire 5 years after publication unless reaffirmed, revised, or retired at or before that time.
Correspondence: Suzette Harper, NAPNAP National Office, 20 Brace Rd, Suite 200, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-2633.
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