WOFAPS 2025 8th World Congress of Pediatric Surgery

Ahmad Khaleghnejad Tabari ¹, Amirhossein Hosseini ¹, Nasibeh Khaleghnejad Tabari ², Roseminasadat Moulaei ³, Mehdi Sarrafi ¹, Gholamreza Ebrahimi ¹, Aramesh Abbasian ¹

¹ Iran
² Isle of Man
³ imperial college healthcare NHS trust

Background: Despite efforts to minimise accidental exposure to chemical substances, caustic ingestion in children remains a significant medical issue. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with caustic agent ingestion in children.

Method: This case-control study was conducted among 123 children (under 18 years of age). Cases were children with caustic substance ingestion (n=57) referred between 2016 and 2022 to Mofid Children's Hospital. The controls were a random sample of children hospitalised for reasons other than oesophageal burns (n=68). Socio-demographic variables were assessed using a validated checklist. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.

Results: The median age of cases was 29.5 months (IQR: 20.75–48 months), and 40.7% of cases were girls. The most common age for these accidents was between one and five years. The parent's education level in both groups was predominantly diploma or below. Family income in 44.9% of cases and 60.3% of controls ranged between 10 and 30 million Iranian Rials (IRR). Acidic agents were ingested in 57.4% of cases; 76.3% of incidents occurred in the child’s home. In 90.2% of cases, parents were present at the time of the accident. Child-resistant safety caps were absent in 92.5% of cases, and in 60.4% of cases, the caustic agents were stored in their original containers.

Conclusion: The incidence of accidental caustic agent ingestion was higher in children under five years old and more common in boys. Additionally, the ingestion of acidic substances was more frequent than alkaline substances. Prevention protocols, strict regulations, and educational programmes are recommended to reduce the occurrence of this devastating issue.