Prevalencia y factores sociodemográficos que condicionan el uso de joyas (y la percepción del riesgo de accidentes que conlleva) en niños menores de dos años

Sociodemographic prevalence and factors that condition the use of jewellery (and the perceived risk of accidents involved) in children less than two years old Objectives: to determine the prevalence of jewels use (and the perception of risk involved) in children under two years old and establish the sociodemographic and cultural factors that determine it. Materials and methods: we designed an observational descriptive transversal study. We conducted a questionnaire to parents in the pediatric outpatient clinics of 4 health areas during six months. The descriptive variables concerning infants were age, sex, number of siblings, order and cohabitants. Pa- rents' variables were age, sex, educational level, occupation, country of origin, place of residence and religion. Relating to jewels: type, material, origin, use, time, subject and situation of use. We also asked about the associated risk of accidents perceived. Results: there were 319 questionnaires. People that gave jewels to infants were more often first-degree relatives (74.1%). The risks of potential injury attributed to its use emphasized strangulation by chains (63.7%) and choking by rings (19.9%). Forty percent of children, whose parents knew cases of jewels' accidents, used at least one. The older children had more jewels, although its use in the minors of 6 months predominated. The parents of the smallest and eldest children, within the studied rank of age, were those that perceived a major risk in the use of jewels.