Trauma is increasing as a cause of childhood mortality worldwide. There are some key differences between trauma in adults and children:

• Children are small relative to the objects that hit them. This affects the site of injury
• Children have a relatively large head and weak neck muscles: head injuries are common
• Children may have severe internal injuries with few external signs
• The rib cage is compressible and rib fractures are rare, but pulmonary, hepatic, splenic and renal contusion is common
• Limb fractures are common