Injuries Among Toddlers: Contributions from Child, Mother, and Family

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Mothers' reports of injuries among 116 toddlers followed longitudinally from 1 to 3 years were used to designate one group (n=32) as having higher injury liability and one group (n=84) as having lower injury liability. The self-reported temperament of the mothers, directly appraised aspects of the toddlers' homes, and directly observed characteristics of the toddlers were correlated with injury liability. Higher injury liability was signified by features from all three sources. The mothers tended to be less educated and depicted themselves as more emotionally overwhelmed and less energetic; the homes tended to be less optimal for child development, of lower socioeconomic status, and marked by higher levels of noise and disorder; and the toddlers, who were likely to be male, were observed to be less tractable and manageable. Regression analyses indicated that a combination of characteristics of the mother and home provided a moderately strong multiple R with toddler's injury liability, and the toddler's characteristics made no additional significant contributions. The results are interpreted as indicating that the injury liability of toddlers can be better established by considering foremost those social and environmental conditions extrinsic to the child. However, that same emphasis may not apply to older children and adolescents. It is suggested that pediatric psychologists take a developmental perspective when evaluating factors pertaining to children's injuries.