Frequency, Etiology and Covariates of Maxillofacial Trauma in Children Presenting to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: Maxillofacial traumas is one of the most common pediatric emergency and has which requires urgent care and hospital admissions. Rapid urbanization, poor implementation of safety regulations, a rise in traffic accidents, and restricted access to specialized healthcare all make the burden worse in low- and middle-income nations.

Objective: To determine the frequency, etiology, and associated covariates of maxillofacial trauma among children presenting to the oral and maxillofacial surgery department of Hayat Abad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan.

Materials and Methods: The study design was cross-sectional observational and was conducted from 1 October 2024 to 30 November 2025 at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan. Pediatric patients aged 1–13 years presenting with maxillofacial trauma were included and the sampling technique was consecutive sampling. Data collection included data regarding the demographics, mechanism of injury, anatomical site involved, type of injury, associated injuries, and management. For summarization of finding descriptive statistics were used and for checking the associations between variables the chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, with a p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant.

 Results: A total of 180 pediatric patients were included in the study and the mean age of the participants was 6.23 ± 3.47 years. Males constituted 61.7% of cases. The most common cause of injury was falls, followed by road traffic accidents and sports-related injuries. Fractures and combined injuries accounted for a substantial proportion of cases, with the dentoalveolar region and multiple facial bones being the most frequently involved sites. There was a significant association between age group and mechanism of injury, mechanism of injury and type of injury, and type of injury and hospital admission. The most common injured were younger children which was due to falls, whereas older children sustained more injuries related to road traffic accidents and sports related activities.

Conclusion: Pediatric maxillofacial trauma in Hayatabad Medical complex Peshawar Pakistan was predominantly associated with preventable mechanisms such as falls and road traffic accidents, with distinct age-related injury patterns. The findings of our study emphasized the need for age-specific injury prevention strategies, early risk stratification, and appropriate resource allocation for the management of pediatric trauma in tertiary care hospitals.