Dog bite injuries in children are a preventable health problem. To characte
rize this type of injury, we have undertaken to define demographic criteria
and patterns of injury inflicted by dogs in our pediatric population. A re
trospective chart review was conducted of pediatric patients with dog bite
injuries admitted to a Level I pediatric trauma center from January 1986 th
rough June 1998. Patient demographics, canine characteristics, and hospital
patient data were collected and analyzed using the Excel program and appro
priate statistical methodology. There were 67 patient records reviewed. Thi
rty-eight (57%) of the patients were male, and 29 (43%) were female. There
were 43 (64%) white children, 22 (33%) African-American children, and 2 (3%
) Hispanic children. The average age of the children was 6.2 +/- 4.2 years,
with an average weight of 23.3 +/- 13.7 kg. More than half the attacks occ
urred in the afternoon and 55 per cent of these attacks were documented as
"unprovoked" attacks. Thirty-one (46%) of these attacks involved family pet
s, and 30 (45%) dogs were known to the attacked child. The head and neck wa
s involved in greater than 67 per cent of these injuries. Pit bulls caused
25 per cent of the bite injuries. Large dogs were responsible for 88 per ce
nt of the attacks. Forty-four (66%) patients required operative interventio
n. Twenty-eight of these patients had multiple anatomical areas injured. Th
ere were 44 procedures involving the head and neck, ii involving extremitie
s, and 6 involving other areas of the body. All patients 5 years of age and
under had head and neck injuries. Dog bite injuries requiring admission oc
cur more in male children. Caucasian and African American children were the
majority of children affected. The children under 5 years of age suffered
the most devastating injuries. More than half of these attacks were not pro
voked. More than two-thirds of the injuries to these children involved the
head and neck. We conclude that effective prevention strategies must stress
careful supervision of young children and the family or neighbor's dog, a
scenario that may easily lead to complacency and set the stage for a severe
injury.