Nearly 1,000 children have been hospitalized with injuries in Cumbria in a year, figures show.

As Child Safety Week begins, the Child Accident Prevention Trust says tens of thousands of parents in England experience their “worst nightmare” every year as they rush a child to the emergency room.

Data from Public Health England shows there were 940 hospitalizations caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries to children under the age of 14 in Cumbria in 2019-2020.

This was equivalent to 122 admissions per 10,000 young people in the region, up from 118 the previous year.

This has been compared to an average rate across England of 91.

Unintentional injuries – which make up the majority of admissions according to CAPT – refer to external causes of harm, such as sports accidents, falls and burns, while self-inflicted injuries include different types of assaults and injuries. deliberate self-harm.

In Cumbria, toddlers were more likely to end up in hospital than those aged five and older, according to PHE.

In 2019-2020, children over four years of age accounted for 400 hospital admissions, or 169 out of 10,000.

Across England, there were 93,000 hospitalizations due to injured children in 2019-2020 – out of more than a million over a decade.

CAPT said parents can help reduce the number of injuries by staying one step ahead of their children’s development.

Katrina Phillips, executive director of the charity, said: “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, taking their child to the hospital, distressed by the severity of the accident, and it’s a lived fear. by tens of thousands of families every year.

“Accidents often happen when young children can suddenly do something they couldn’t do the night before – grab a hot drink, crawl up the stairs, or turn on pain relievers.

“For older children, accidents most often happen while cycling or walking.

Child Safety Week is CAPT’s annual community education campaign that aims to spark conversations about safety between families.

Hospital admissions varied widely nationwide, from 49 per 10,000 children in parts of south London to 153 in Northumberland in the north-east.

Ms Phillips said different policies for hospital admissions, deprivation and overcrowding could all contribute to a wide variation in rates.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said parents and caregivers should arm themselves with knowledge and information to protect children from injuries around the home.

Ashley Martin, RoSPA Public Health Officer, added: “Weird bruises or scratches are part of growing up, but sadly, accidents involving children continue to devastate the lives of particularly at-risk under-fives.

“On average, half of children under five go to the emergency room each year after an accident that did not happen, and many require extensive treatment. “

Between 2017-18 and 2019-20, the most common unintentional injuries – among those for which PHE provides figures – in toddlers in England were from falls, accidental poisoning and exposure to inanimate mechanical forces , especially cuts caused by sharp objects such as knives.

In Cumbria, there were 420, 135 and 140 such incidents, respectively, during this period.