M.P.H. An unusually high number of children injured in falls have been treated in the past few months at UC Davis Medical Center. The injuries included head injuries, broken bones and injuries to internal organs. Nine children were hurt seriously enough to be placed in the pediatric intensive care unit.
Few people realize that falls are a leading cause of unintentional injury for children.
Most falls occur from furniture, stairs, baby walkers, playground equipment, windows and shopping carts. Nationwide, children are more likely to die or be severely injured from window-related falls. Children ages 4 and under accounted for more than half of these deaths. Each year, more than 2.5 million children ages 14 and under are treated in hospital emergency rooms for fall-related injuries. Children ages 5 and under account for more than half of these injuries.