الفهرس 
AIM OF THE WORKOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Childhood injury and violence are the predominant killers of children throughout the world, it is estimated that they are responsible for the death of approximately 1 million children under the age of 18 years annually. Accidental injuries account for the vast majority (90%) of these cases, while the remainder (10%) is estimated to be due to violence or maltreatment.
Injury results in more deaths in children and adolescents than all other causes combined. Deaths caused by injuries, intentional or unintentional, account for more years of potential life lost under the age of 18 years than do deaths attributable to sudden infant death syndrome, cancer and infectious diseases combined. It is estimated that 1 in 4 children sustain an unintentional injury that requires medical care each year.
Accidents are the leading cause of death among people in all industrialized countries and in growing number of developing countries. The greatest proportion of all deaths due to injury occurs in children and young adults. Children learn by exploring the world around them. They often touch and play with thing, which might injure them. The protection of children from injury ultimately depends on actions of adults. Mentally disabled children have higher injury rate than healthy children. They need more care from their caregivers. Hence, mother’s knowledge and practices related to child injuries are of major importance in protecting children, in general, and mentally disabled children, in particular, from these dangerous and sometimes, deadly accidents and consequent injuries.
This study aimed to determine the effect of counseling intervention for mothers caring children with mental disability to help them in accidents prevention. This aim was achieved through the following:
1. Measure the frequency rate of accident among the mentally disable children before the counseling intervention.
2. Design and implement the counseling intervention for mothers.
3. Measure the frequency rate of accident after the months following the counseling intervention.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of counseling intervention to decrease the rate post counseling in comparison to pre.
This quasi experimental study was carried out at two Special Needs Care Center in Cairo where availability of the needed sample. The subjects were consisted of 48 mothers caring their children with mentally disable, male or female, aged 6 to 12 years. Data were collected using an interview questionnaire form to assess mothers` knowledge and practices. A pilot study was conducted on 10% of the study sample to determine the final form of the questionnaire.
The main findings of the study were as follows:
The mean age of children was 9.2 ± 1.8 years and 50% males, 39.5% third child, 62.7% of children in special needs school, 79% of them at low academic level in education. The mean of mental age was 6.229 ± 1.171.
The mean age of mothers was 37.18 ± 7.07, slightly more than half (52.08%) of them were highly educated, (60.42%) working.
Results revealed that (93.75) of children had a history of exposure to accident that is pre counseling, but post counseling 14.50% of children had exposure to accident.
Significant decrease for the proportion of accidents occurre to children post counseling (p-value < 0.001).
Significant positive correlation between knowledge, preventive and therapeutic practices (p-value < 0.001).
In the light of the study findings, it is concluded that accidents and injuries constitute an important health problems among mentally disabled children. There is a significant change (increase) between pre / post in knowledge, preventive, therapeutic practices and total practices.
It is recommended that mothers need counseling and more orientation about child growth and development. The pediatric and community health nurses have key roles in educating mothers about accident prevention. Further studies are needed to assess the effect of counseling for mothers on reducing the rates and severity of mental disabled children accidents.