Children Still Falling from Windows

These falls are not just from those urban high-rises, many from second story windows according to researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ohio State University.

Researchers had examined emergency room information from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System consisting of 3,794 cases of children who had injuries from falling out windows between the years 1990 and 2008.

Using the information researchers that 98,415 children were treated at emergency rooms for injury related falls at emergency rooms across the nation during the study period. That number breaks down to around 5,100 children yearly or fourteen children each day.

According to Dr. Gary Smith, Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the hospital, for decades we have known falls from windows are a problem for children. Even the best parent can not keep on eye on their children one hundred percent of the time. Children want to check things out and do not realize that open windows is a danger with severe outcomes.

Relating to My Health News Daily, Dr. Smith commented injuries for children had a remarked decrease for those children younger than five within the first two years of the study but leveled out in around 2000. Regardless of the decrease children by 2008, still accounted for about two-thirds of emergency room related falls out of window. In the study children were ages 17 and under.

The data related to the circumstances of the falls was scare researchers believe that many children could reach the windows by standing on furniture. The study also did note include those children who died before reaching the emergency room or those children whose parents sought out other medical care.

Dr. David Mooney, M.D., MPH, Director of the Trauma Program at Children's Hospital in Boston, stated that this study does have a lot of merit. Large public information campaigns were started in cities across the nation decades ago especially in Boston and New York. Due to that injury rates from falling out of windows did drop.

Dr. Smith and Dr. Mooney do both agree that the results of this study advocates for a refreshed public education campaign to prevent falls from windows.

Safety measures to prevent falls from windows include window guards which block children from going out open windows. These guards cost around $20 to $40. They come with a fast release which will allow escaping from a fire or other emergency.

Make sure all furniture is moved away from windows and the placement of soft landing surfaces such as bushes under windows can also help in child safety.