Childhood injuries and deaths due to falls from windows

Abstract

Background. Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death in children, and falls are

Pediatric Injuries Attributable to Falls From Windows in the United States in 1990–2008

“…1,[3][4][5][6]8,9,[11][12][13]16 There was seasonal variation, with more window falls during the spring and summer months. The rate of injury among younger children (0 -4 years of age) was greater than that among older children (5-17 years of age), and younger children were more likely to sustain serious injuries, as demonstrated by their increased risk of hospitalization or death.…”

“…When the height was documented in feet, it was converted to stories in increments of 12 ft (ie, 0 -12 ft ϭ first story, 12.1-24 ft ϭ second story, and Ն24.1 ft ϭ third story or higher), on the basis of methods used in previous studies. 7,10,12 Landing surfaces were categorized as hard surfaces (including concrete, asphalt, pavers, and bricks), firm surfaces (including grass, gravel, dirt, roofs, and decks and balconies not specified as concrete), soft surfaces (including bushes, mulch, bark, and flowerbeds), and other surfaces. Window status before the fall was coded as open, screened, closed (including windows that do not open), or other (eg, plastic or cardboard in the window or window guard in place).…”

“…2,7,8,10,11 Morerecent studies showed that these injuries occur throughout the nation, in both urban and suburban settings in such metropolitan areas as Dallas, Texas, Los Angeles, California, and Cincinnati, Ohio. 1,[3][4][5]12,13 Most of those studies drew similar conclusions, that is, preschool-aged children have the highest risk of falling, boys fall more frequently than girls, window falls have high morbidity rates, and falls demonstrate seasonal trends, with peaks during warmer months. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][10][11][12][13][15][16][17] The studies generally have been limited to 1 hospital or 1 city/metropolitan area.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] Initial studies were performed with large urban populations, primarily in New York, New York, and Chicago, Illinois. Children living in high-density, multifamily, housing structures and high-rise buildings were thought to be at greater risk of serious injury resulting from window falls.…”

Unintentional injuries in the home environment: home safety

“…As quedas de janelas predominam em pacientes do gênero masculino abaixo de 5 anos, possivelmente porque essas crianças apresentam comportamento caracterizado pela impulsividade, não tendo ainda condições de avaliar o perigo em toda sua extensão 52 .…”