Exploring Infant Fall Events Using Online Parenting Discussion Forums: Infodemiology Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Falls are the most common mechanism of hospitalised injury in children under 12 months and commonly result in traumatic brain injuries. Epidemiological studies exploring infant falls demonstrate the burden but lack the contextual information vital to the development of preventive interventions. The objective of this study was to examine contextual information for falls involving children under 12 months. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine contextual information for falls involving children under 12 months using online parenting discussion forums. METHODS Online parenting forums provide an unobtrusive rich data source for collecting detailed information about fall events. Relevant discussions related to fall incidents were identified and downloaded using site-specific google search queries and a programming script. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyse the incidents and categorise contextual information into ‘pre-cursor events’ and ‘influencing factors’ for infant falls. RESULTS 461 infant fall incidents were identified. Common fall mechanisms included: falls from furniture; falls when being carried or supported by someone; falls from baby products and falls on the same level. Across the spectrum of fall mechanisms, common precursor events were: infant rolling off; being alone on furniture; product misuse; caretaker falling asleep while holding the infant; and caretaker tripping/slipping while carrying the infant. Common influencing factors included: infant’s rapid motor development; lapses in caretaker attention; and trip hazards. CONCLUSIONS The findings define targets for intervention to prevent infant falls and suggest the most viable intervention approach may be to target parental behaviour change. Online forums have provided rich information critical for preventive interventions aimed at changing behaviour.