Falls are the leading cause of injury for children, research says
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Falls are the leading cause of injury for children, with most occurring in the home, according to Christopher Moir, a pediatric surgeon and trauma expert. Injurious falls don't only occur on playgrounds; children can fall off of changing tables, shopping carts and even windows.
"Kids play. They are active, imaginative and creative and they fall all the time. … But parents need to know how essential it is to never lose sight of their child while they are young and defenseless," said Moir, of the Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester, Minnesota.
It's also important for parents to understand that window screens won't keep children from falling through windows, said Moir, according to the Universal Fidelity Life Insurance Company's Health News blog.
"It happens every day. Actually 14 times on average every day a child will be seriously injured from falling out of a window," said Moir. These are usually the more serious injuries sustained by children.
About 8,000 children are treated daily — which is almost 2.8 million annually — in emergency rooms due to falls, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CDC also reports that one of the top three causes of death among children from 1 to 14 years old is accidents, or unintentional injuries.
A study released near the end of 2014 reported that the leading cause of serious head injury or trauma among children is related to falling, according to U.S. News and World Report.
"For children under the age of 2, falls accounted for 77 percent of head injuries. For kids aged 2 to 12, falls caused 38 percent of head injuries. … Many of these serious brain injuries result from car and bicycle accidents," researchers reported, according to U.S. News and World.
Helmets and seat belts can save kids' lives and brains, said lead researcher Nathan Kupperman.
There are countless ways children can be injured, and it is especially important for parents to be aware during the summer months when kids roam free, according to a two part series on family safety last month. Being aware of how children can be injured and taking simple steps to prevent accidents is important and possible for parents.
CDC gives some tips on preventing falls and making playtime more safe: Protect the Ones You Love: Child Injuries Are Preventable.
Email: mmorgan@deseretnews.com, Twitter: mandy_morg
