FallsFalls hurt
more children ages 14 and under than any other unintentional injury. In
fact, one-third of patients treated in hospital emergency rooms for
injuries sustained in falls are children. Children most often fall from
the following:
- baby walkers
- furniture
- playground equipment
- shopping carts
- stairs
- windows
The severity of injuries sustained in a fall depends on the height of
the fall and the landing surface. Most serious or fatal falls involve head
injuries.
Proper safety measures in the home can help prevent certain types of
falls, including those involving baby walkers and stairs. Installing
window guards and/or moving furniture away from windows may prevent some
falls. In addition, making sure the surface underneath playground
equipment is a loose-fill surfacing or special playground surfacing can
help minimize injuries in a fall.
There are many different types of fall-related injuries that require
clinical care by a physician or other healthcare professional. Listed in
the directory below are some considerations, for which a brief overview
has been provided.
If you cannot find the information in which you are interested, please
visit the Safety and Injury Prevention Online
Resources page in this Web site for an Internet/World Wide Web address
that may contain additional information on that topic.
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