14 Aug 2014

Preventable injuries common, figures show

11:32 am on 14 August 2014

Most of the children admitted to hospital in Auckland in a five-year period had injuries that were preventable, figures released by Auckland Council show.

The council released statistics on overnight stays in hospital of children aged from newborn to 14, between 2008 and 2012.

The data shows 14,800 children, or 88.9 percent of those admitted, had preventable injuries such as falls, mishaps with sharp objects, and burns.

Fifty children were hospitalised each week and 19 died from the preventable injuries each year.

The most common site of accidents was at home, followed by school.

The council is hoping to decrease preventable admissions by a quarter within the next 10 years.