RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Road traffic accidents are a significant public health problem and a major cause of economic loss globally. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to describe the epidemiological profile of child victims of traffic accidents and the prevalence of craniofacial trauma in a municipality in the northeastern region of Brazil. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A documentary study was carried out through the analysis of the medical records of the traffic accident victims hospitalized in emergency wards in the municipality of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil, from January to December 2016. A total of 1,884 medical records were evaluated, among which 85 (4.5%) referred to children aged 0-12 years. The information related to the sociodemographic profile of the victims, traffic accidents and clinical variables was collected. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and a 5% level of significance was adopted. RESULTS: The victims were predominantly males (64.7%) and 9-12-year-old children (43.5%). Most accidents were recorded in the evening (48.2%) and on the weekend (32.9%). Among the victims, 37.6% were involved in motorcycle accidents. Craniofacial injuries were found in 44.7% of the children. Most victims were not admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (80.0%). Craniofacial trauma was significantly associated with motorcycle (p = 0.043) and automobile accidents (p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that motorcycles are the vehicles most frequently involved in traffic accidents, which predominantly affect males and children aged 9-12 years, and result in a high prevalence of craniofacial trauma.