Risk factors for unintentional injuries due to falls in children aged 0-6 years: a systematic review

Housing Characteristics and Hospital Admissions due to Falls on Stairs: A National Birth Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To assess associations between housing characteristics and risk of hospital admissions related to falls on/from stairs in children, to help inform prevention measures.

STUDY DESIGN

An existing dataset of birth records linked to hospital admissions up to age 5 for a cohort of 3 925 737 children born in England between 2008 and 2014, was linked to postcode-level housing data from Energy Performance Certificates. Association between housing construction age, tenure (eg, owner occupied), and built form and risk of stair fall-related hospital admissions was estimated using Poisson regression. We stratified by age (<1 and 1-4 years), and adjusted for geographic region, Index of Multiple Deprivation, and maternal age.

RESULTS

The incidence was higher in both age strata for children in neighborhoods with homes built before 1900 compared with homes built in 2003 or later (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.40; 95% CI, 1.10-1.77 [age <1 year], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.05-1.36 [age 1-4 years]). For those aged 1-4 years, the incidence was higher for those in neighborhoods with housing built between 1900 and 1929, compared with 2003 or later (IRR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.13-1.41), or with predominantly social-rented homes compared with owner occupied (IRR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.29). Neighborhoods with predominantly houses compared with flats had higher incidence (IRR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.08-1.42 [<1 year] and IRR 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.25 [1-4 years]).

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in building regulations may explain the lower fall incidence in newer homes compared with older homes. Fall prevention campaigns should consider targeting neighborhoods with older or social-rented housing. Future analyses would benefit from data linkage to individual homes, as opposed to local area level.

Risk factors for severe and fatal childhood unintentional injury: a systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND

Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of death among children aged 1-19 years worldwide. Systematic reviews assessing various risk factors for different childhood injuries have been published previously. However, most of the related literature does not distinguish minor from severe or fatal injuries. This study aims to describe and summarize the current knowledge on the determinants of severe and fatal childhood unintentional injuries and to discuss the differences between risk factors for all injuries (including minor injuries) and severe and fatal injuries. The study also aims to quantify the reduction in childhood injuries associated with a reduction in exposure to some of the identified risk factors in the Canadian population.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted by searching MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science. Observational and experimental cohort studies assessing children and adolescents aged ≤ 19 years old and determinants of severe and fatal unintentional injury, such as personal behaviors, family and environmental characteristics, and socioeconomic and geographic context, will be eligible. The main outcome will be a composite of any severe or fatal unintentional injuries (including burns, drowning, transport-related injuries, and falls). Any severity measurement scale will be accepted as long as severe cases require at least one hospital admission. Two authors will independently screen for inclusion, extract data, and assess the quality of the data using the Cochrane ROBINS-E tool. Meta-analysis will be performed using random effects models. Subgroup analyses will examine age subgroups and high- vs low-income countries. Sensitivity analysis will be conducted after restricting analyses to studies with a low risk of bias. Attributable fractions will be computed to assess the burden of identified risk factors in the Canadian population.

DISCUSSION

Given the numerous determinants of childhood injuries and the challenges that may be involved in identifying which individuals should be prioritized for injury prevention efforts, this evidence may help to inform the identification of high-risk children and prevention interventions, considering the disproportionate consequences of severe and fatal injuries. This evidence may also help pediatric healthcare providers prioritize counseling messaging.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42023493322.

Home injuries in British Columbia: patterns across the deprivation spectrum

The significant burden of home injuries has become a growing concern that affect thousands of people every year across Canada. This study examined the relationship between neighbourhood deprivation and unintentional injuries occurring at home leading to hospitalizations in British Columbia (BC) between 2015 and 2019. This study used de-identified hospitalization data on unintentional home-related injuries from the Discharge Abstract Database (DAD) and population data for each dissemination area from Statistics Canada's 2016 Census Profiles. Hospitalization rates were computed for unintentional home-related injuries across four dimensions specified in the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD) for BC. For three CIMD dimensions (situational vulnerability, economic dependency, and residential instability), unintentional home injury rates were higher in areas with higher deprivation, while the inverse was observed for ethno-cultural diversity. Understanding socio-economic disparities within neighbourhoods enables injury prevention partners to identify vulnerable populations and prioritize the development and implementation of evidence-based injury prevention interventions.

Epidemiology and factors associated with mortality among pediatric major trauma patients in Nova Scotia: A 17-year retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

Major traumatic injury in the pediatric population requires further evaluation to improve patient outcomes. Relatively few Canadian studies have investigated pediatric trauma using population-based data. Our objectives were to describe the epidemiology of pediatric major trauma in Nova Scotia and identify factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of pediatric major trauma patients (age <18 years) injured in Nova Scotia over a 17-year period (April 2001-March 2018). Data were collected from the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry. Characteristics were compared between patient subgroups using t-tests, chi-square analyses and Fisher's exact test. Temporal trends were evaluated using the Mann-Kendall test. Incidence and mortality rates were mapped using ArcGIS Pro. A multivariate logistic regression model was created to assess for factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 1258 injuries were observed over the 17-year study period. The incidence of pediatric major trauma was 41.7 per 100,000 person-years. Most patients were male (819/1258; 65.1 %) and resided in urban areas (764/1258; 60.7 %). Blunt trauma accounted for 86.2 % (1084/1258) of injuries, and motor vehicle collisions were the most common cause (448/1258; 35.6 %). Incidence and mortality rates were highest in the 15-17 year age group, with a trend towards increasing incidence among females (p = 0.011). Mortality was 17.2 % (217/1258) of patients; 10.9 % (137/1258) died pre-hospital. No trends were detected in mortality rates. The regression model showed increased odds of in-hospital mortality for every point increase in the ISS (OR 1.05; 95 % CI 1.02 to 1.09) and for every unit decrease in scene GCS (OR 0.63; 95 % CI 0.56-0.71). Rural patients were 2 times more likely to die in-hospital versus urban patients (OR 2.40; 95 % CI 1.01-5.69), and patients injured at home were 6 times more likely to die compared to those injured in other locations (OR 6.19; 95 % CI 1.01-38.11).

CONCLUSION

Pediatric trauma remains a major public health issue in Canada and beyond. Greater efforts are required to expand our understanding of trauma epidemiology and develop targeted injury prevention strategies, especially for rural inhabitants.

Readiness of Omani Families to Prevent Accidental Injuries at Home in Children Younger than Six Years Old

Objectives

We sought to assess the attitude of Omani families toward accidental injuries among children (aged < 6 years) and evaluate the safety measures and available preventive measures to reduce child injuries at home.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional survey examining the self-reported attitudes of Omani parents about accidental injuries (poisoning, falls, burns, and drowning) at home among children younger than six and house safety measures. A total of 220 parents of children aged < 6 years, admitted to a tertiary healthcare teaching hospital, were invited to participate over a period of six months (May to November 2018). Analysis of 178 participant data was performed using SPSS, as 44 of the answered questionnaires had missing data, or were related to children over the age of six.

Results

Only 16.9% of the Omani families had a history of a child injury in the year before the study. Males were more injured (61.0%) and 66.0% were younger than three years at the time of injury. A door to control access to stairs was available for 53.8% of the families. In 42.5% and 16.0% of the houses, children could access electrical sockets and wires, respectively. Fire alarms and extinguishers were not available in 90.8% and 82.1% of houses, respectively. Those who did not store medications and chemicals in safe places out of reach of children accounted for 56.7% and 63.3% of families, respectively.

Conclusions

Many of the studied families are not providing an adequate safe environment for children in their houses. Therefore, actions should be taken to increase awareness about accidental injuries prevention within homes and to implement actions so that a safe home environment can be enjoyed by children.

A Pilot Randomized Trial Evaluating the Cool 2 Be Safe Junior Playground Safety Program for Preschool Children

OBJECTIVE

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death to children worldwide, and playgrounds pose a significant risk of injury. Those aged 5 and 6 years are particularly vulnerable to playground injuries. Previous interventions have typically targeted environmental modifications or increased supervision to reduce playground injuries; however, minimal research has focused on implementing behavioral interventions that seek to change children's safety knowledge and risk-taking behaviors on the playground. The current randomized trial addressed these gaps in the literature and sought to increase preschool children's hazard awareness skills and knowledge of unsafe playground behaviors and decrease their intentions to engage in risk-taking behaviors on the playground.

METHOD

A total of 77 children aged 5 and 6 years were tested at a laboratory on a university campus, using a parallel group design, with 38 randomized to the playground intervention group and 39 randomly assigned to a control group. The intervention was manualized and delivered to small groups of children (3-5) over several sessions.

RESULTS

Statistical analyses revealed significant group differences. Intervention experience led to significant increases in hazard awareness skills and knowledge of unsafe playground behaviors, and significant decreases in children's risk-taking behavioral intentions, whereas those in the control group showed no significant changes in these scores. Attention scores for those in the intervention group highlighted that the program content was successful in maintaining children's attention and engagement, and memory scores indicated excellent retention of lesson content.

CONCLUSION

The program shows promise in addressing the issue of unintentional playground injuries in young children.

Differences in Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Health-Related Physical Performance Indices and Academic Achievement: A Comparative Study of Normal-Weight and Obese Children in Qatar

Background: The relationship between physical activity (PA), health-related physical performance (PP), and academic achievement (AA) plays an important role in childhood. This study examined the differences in PA, sedentary behavior, health-related PP, maturity status, and AA between normal-weight and obese school children in Qatar. Methods: Eighty schoolchildren were recruited (age: 12.1 ± 0.6 years). Based on age-specific BMI percentiles, the children were classified as normal weight (n = 40) or obese (n = 40). Moore's equations were used to estimate their maturity status (PHV). The measurements encompassed anthropometric data as well as PP tests (medicine ball throw, postural stability, handgrip strength). AA was assessed by reviewing school records for grade point average in Mathematics, Science, and Arabic courses. The total amount of time spent participating in PA each week was calculated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form. Results: Handgrip strength was the only parameter that showed a relevant group difference (p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.15; normal weight: 19.7 ± 3.46 N; obese: 21.7 ± 2.80 N). We found only one moderate correlation between PHV and handgrip strength (r = 0.59). Conclusions: The findings suggest that obesity status alone might not serve as a sufficient predictor of AA in school or PA levels.

Determinants of unintentional injuries in preschool age children in high-income countries: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Injuries are the leading cause of death and disability in preschool children who are subject to specific risk factors. We sought to clarify the determinants of unintentional injuries in children aged 5 years and under in high-income countries and report on the methodological quality of the selected studies.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted of observational studies investigating determinants of unintentional injury in children aged 0-5. Searches were conducted in Web of Science, Medline, Embase, PsycInfo and CINAHL. All methods of data analysis and reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2021) guidelines. Determinants are reported at the child, parental, household and area level.

RESULTS

An initial search revealed 6179 records. Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria: 17 cohort studies and 2 case control studies. While studies included longitudinal surveys and administrative healthcare data analysis, the highest quality studies examined were case-control designs. Child factors associated with unintentional injury include male gender, age of the child at the time of injury, advanced gross motor score, sleeping problems, birth order, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and below average score on the standard strengths and difficulties scale. Parental factors associated with unintentional injuries included younger parenthood, poor maternal mental health, hazardous or harmful drinking by an adult within the home, substance misuse, low maternal education, low paternal involvement in childcare and routine and manual socioeconomic classification. Household factors associated with injury were social rented accommodation, single-parent household, White ethnicity in the United Kingdom, number of children in the home and parental perception of a disorganised home environment. Area-level factors associated with injury were area-level deprivation and geographic remoteness.

CONCLUSION

Child factors were the strongest risk factors for injury, whereas parental factors were the most consistent. Further research is needed to examine the role of supervision in the relationships between these risk factors and injury. Injury intent should be considered in studies using administrative healthcare data. Prospective research may consider utilising linked survey and administrative data to counter the inherent weaknesses of these research approaches.

Secure windows for child safety: a retrospective study of window falls in children, aiming to raise prevention awareness

PURPOSE

The aim of the study is to enhance understanding, raise awareness and inform prevention programmes regarding potential factors that lead to severe paediatric injuries caused by unintentional falls from windows.

METHODS

This is a retrospective review from a major Trauma Centre, covering the majority of North West England and North Wales and included children under the age of 16 that had sustained falls from windows and were hospitalised between April 2015 and June 2020.

RESULTS

Overall, 825 patients' records have been reviewed, 39% of which exhibited neurosurgical injuries (322 admissions). The most common cause of injury was falls (42%), out of which 19% was identified as falls from windows which was eventually the core focus of this review (25 patients). The records showed that 72% of the falls were not witnessed by another individual, suggesting that children were being left unattended. Average GCS recorded at presentation was 11.2 and 56% of cases were identified as severe major traumas. With a mean stay of 2.2 days in ICU, 1.6 days in HDU and 6 days in the neurosurgical clinic, average treatment costs per patient were £4,493, £651 and £4,156 respectively. Finally, 52% of patients were identified to require long-term physiotherapy/occupational therapy due to permanent disabilities, 20% long-term antiepileptic treatment for seizures and 44% long-term psychological services input.

CONCLUSION

This study presents our experience at a major tertiary trauma centre in the UK over a 5-year period, from a paediatric neurosurgical injuries perspective due to fall from windows. We aim to raise awareness and highlight the importance of establishing prevention programmes which would hopefully decrease the incidence of paediatric window falls.

Swimming, better than tennis, develops sensorimotor adaptabilities involved in postural balance in 5-6-year-old children

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to evaluate the postural balance of young tennis players and young swimming practitioners in static and dynamic conditions.

METHODS

Thirty-six children (5-6 years old) participated in 3 groups: 12 tennis players, 12 swimming practitioners and 12 controls. Static and dynamic [in medial lateral (ML) and anterior posterior (AP) planes] postural balance were assessed by the centre of pressure sways using a stabilometric force platform in the eyes opened (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions.

RESULTS

In the EO condition, swimming practitioners and tennis players had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) centre of pressure mean velocity (CoP_Vm) compared to controls in both static and dynamic medial-lateral (D-ML) postures. In the D-ML posture, swimming practitioners showed lower CoP_Vm compared to tennis players. However, in the EC condition, only the swimming practitioners showed better static and D-ML postural balance (p < 0.05) compared to their counterparts. In the static posture, the Romberg index value was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in tennis players compared to the two other groups.

CONCLUSION

Tennis players developed a higher reliance on vision to maintain balance, whereas swimming practitioners were more stable in challenging postural conditions. Clinicians should consider incorporating swimming training rather than tennis as an appropriate balance training in fall-prevention programs.

Sofa and bed-related pediatric trauma injuries treated in United States emergency departments

INTRODUCTION

Children under the age of 5 years suffer from the highest rates of fall-related injuries. Caretakers often leave young children on sofas and beds, however, falling and rolling off these fixtures can lead to serious injury. We investigated the epidemiologic characteristics and trends of bed and sofa-related injuries among children aged <5 years treated in US emergency departments (EDs).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 2007 through 2021 using sample weights to estimate national numbers and rates of bed and sofa-related injuries. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were employed.

RESULTS

An estimated 3,414,007 children aged <5 years were treated for bed and sofa-related injuries in emergency departments (EDs) in the United States from 2007 through 2021, averaging 115.2 injuries per 10,000 persons annually. Closed head injuries (30%) and lacerations (24%) comprised the majority of injuries. The primary location of injury was the head (71%) and upper extremity (17%). Children <1 year of age accounted for most injuries, with a 67% increase in incidence within the age group between 2007 and 2021 (p < 0.001). Falling, jumping, and rolling off beds and sofas were the primary mechanisms of injury. The proportion of jumping injuries increased with age. Approximately 4% of all injuries required hospitalization. Children <1 year of age were 1.58 times more likely to be hospitalized after injury than all other age groups (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Beds and sofas can be associated with injury among young children, especially infants. The annual rate of bed and sofa-related injuries among infants <1 year old is increasing, which underscores the need for increased prevention efforts, including parental education and improved safety design, to decrease these injuries.

Increasing incidence of pediatric mild traumatic brain injury in Finland - a nationwide register study from 1998 to 2018

AIM

The purpose of this study is to document the annual incidence and incidence trends of pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) in Finland over the course of 21 years.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective nationwide register-based cohort study and used the Finnish Care Register and Population information statistics from 1998 to 2018. The patient group includes all patients aged <18 at the time of injury. We included all emergency department (ED) visits and subsequent inpatient admissions (meaning at least one night in the hospital) with International Classification of Diseases diagnostic code S06*. We calculated pTBI incidences per 100,000 person-years with 95% confidence intervals and the incidences were compared by incidence rate ratios (IRR), including age, diagnosis, and gender stratified analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 71,972 patients were included with 76,785 ED visits or hospitalizations for pTBI diagnoses. The annual incidence of diagnosed pTBI was 251 (CI: 241-260) per 100,000 in 1998 and 547 (CI: 533-561) per 100,000 in 2018, indicating a 118% increase in the incidence (IRR 2.18 CI: 2.09-2.28). Boys had 32% higher incidence (IRR 1.32 CI: 1.30-1.34) than girls. The highest cumulative incidence was observed among boys aged <1 years, 525 (CI: 507-543) per 100,000, and boys had higher incidences in all age groups. The most used diagnostic code was concussion, which included 92.1% of the diagnoses followed by diffuse brain injury, which included 2.3% of the diagnoses. The increase in the incidence of diagnosed pTBI was notably high after 2010. Concussion diagnoses and pTBI cases that were discharged directly from the ED had more than a two-fold increase from 2010 to 2018, whereas the incidence of inpatient admissions for pTBI increased by 53%.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall incidence of diagnosed pTBI has increased in Finland especially since 2010. Boys have higher incidence of diagnosed pTBI in all age groups. Most of the increase was due to increase in the concussion diagnoses, which may be due to the centralization of EDs into bigger units and increased diagnostic awareness of mild pTBI.

Pediatric Unintentional Fall-Related Injuries in a Statewide Trauma Registry

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the study was to evaluate patterns of fall-related injury through childhood and identify risk factors for more severe fall-related injuries with the goal of informing targeted prevention strategies for different ages.

METHODS

The study population consisted of pediatric patients in the Iowa Trauma Registry from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2014, who sustained an unintentional fall-related injury (N = 3856 patients). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to predict injury severity. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated characterizing the relationship between fall severity and age, sex, race, and fall type.

RESULTS

More males (62%) sustained a fall-related injury during the study period when compared with females (38%; P < 0.0001). Head injuries were the most common type of injury in the younger than 1 year age group (77%), whereas fractures were the predominant injury type in all other age groups, followed by head injuries. Those younger than 1 year (adjusted odds ratio, 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 2.36-6.90) and aged 15 to 18 years (adjusted odds ratio, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-3.03) were more likely to have an Injury Severity Score of ≥16 than those aged 10 to 14 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations and prevention strategies need to focus on specific risk factors to reduce the harm of multilevel falls. As we have shown, patterns of fall injuries presenting to trauma hospitals differ by age, thus suggesting that prevention strategies focus on specific age groups.

Evaluation of unintentional falls among children and adolescents treated in emergency medical services

Introduction: Unintentional falls are the leading cause of traumatic injuries, without fatal consequences, with significant morbidity in the population of children and adolescents. Goal: The main goal of this research was to analyze the manner of falling in relation to age and gender, and to assess the type of injury and the anatomical region of the body affected by the injury sustained during a fall in patients ≤19 years of age treated in the emergency medical services in the Republic of Srpska. Material and methods: A cross-section study with retrospective analysis of the national e-database WebMedic from 11 emergency medical services between January 2018 and December 2020 was conducted. Research included patients with diagnosis of unintentional injury caused by a fall, aged ≤19 years. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used for comparisons between groups. Results: During the observed period, 857 cases of unintentional falls were identified, where 87.5% were referred for hospitalization. The group of children aged 0 to 9 years (55.7%) was more often treated for falls (p<0.001), and boys were affected 6.7 times more often than girls (p<0.001). Falls from the same level caused different types of injuries depending on the age and gender of the children (p<0.001). According to the type of injury, superficial injuries (36.8%) and open wounds (29.4%) were most often identified, and the most frequently affected body region was the head (52.0%). Conclusion: The group of children up to the age of nine and males were more often affected by superficial injuries and open wounds, with head injuries being predominant in all age groups. These results could indicate the necessity of creating programs with targeted prevention.

Parents' attitudes as mediators between knowledge and behaviours in unintentional injuries at home of children aged 0-3 in Shanghai, Eastern China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Parental behaviours are important in preventing unintentional injury at home among young children. Previous research showed an inconsistent relationship between knowledge and behaviours, indicating that the mechanisms may vary for different behaviours. This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of different attitudes in the mechanism of knowledge acting on different behaviours.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Eastern China.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were recruited using stratified community-based sampling. A total of 488 parents of children aged 0-3 years participated in the study and 476 (97.5%) valid questionnaires were recovered.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

Parents' knowledge, attitudes (including injury attribution, preventability and responsibility) and behaviours (including supervision behaviours, risky behaviours and providing a safe home environment).

RESULTS

The results of mediation analysis showed that the mediator variables were different for different behaviours and that all associations were positive. Parents' knowledge (β 0.19, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.24) and attitude of injury attribution (β 0.37, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.46) were directly associated with risky behaviours. Attitude of preventability was directly associated with parents' supervision behaviour (β 0.27, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.40). Parents' attitude of preventability mediated the positive association between knowledge, attitudes of injury attribution and responsibility, and supervision behaviours, as well as providing a safe home environment. In addition, the occurrence of child injuries at home was directly associated with home environment (β -0.41, 95% CI -0.82 to -0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The current findings confirm that attitudes play varying mediating roles between knowledge and different behaviours. An important recommendation is that parents' attitudes, especially towards preventability and responsibility, need to be considered when health providers develop health education programmes targeted at improving parental supervision behaviours and providing a safe home environment.

Incidence and Geographic Distribution of Injuries Due to Falls Among Pediatric Communities of Maryland

OBJECTIVES

Falls are the leading cause of pediatric injury and account for the majority of emergency department injury visits, costing US $5 billion in medical costs annually. Epidemiology of pediatric falls has primarily been studied at single hospital centers and has not been analyzed statewide. We assessed pediatric falls across Maryland and geographically mapped them by census tract and block group.

METHODS

The study used Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission discharge data to retrospectively analyze the demographics and cross-sectional incidence rates of fall injuries in Maryland from 2013 to 2015. Geographical clusters were calculated for pediatric falls in Maryland and Baltimore City.

RESULTS

From 2013 to 2015, Maryland hospitals discharged 738,819 pediatric patients, of whom 77,113 had fall injuries. Falls were more prevalent among males (56%), white race (55%), and patients with public insurance (56%). Over this period, 2 children who presented with fall injuries died. The incidence of falls did not vary from 2013 (27,481 children) to 2014 (27,261) and 2015 (26,451). Mapping fall injuries across Maryland identified Baltimore City as the primary cluster and rural pockets as secondary clusters of high incidence rates. Baltimore City maps showed a stable high-incidence cluster in the southwest region across all 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatric fall injuries comprise a large volume of emergency department visits yet have a low mortality. Geographic mapping shows that fall incidence varies across the state and persists over time. Statewide geographic information can be used to focus resource management and target prevention strategies.

Prevention of unintentional injuries in children under five years

We looked at existing recommendations for preventing unintentional injuries in children under five years of age, and we attempted to identify the main sources used as evidence for formulating these recommendations.We conducted a literature search up to the 18th October 2019 by using key terms and manual search in selected sources. We summarized the recommendations and source of the evidence in tables for each of five areas of unintentional injuries: road traffic injuries, drowning, poisoning, thermal injuries, falls.In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a comprehensive report with strategies for child injury prevention for the European region. More recently, the WHO published several guidance documents focused on one area such as drowning, usually with a global focus. The PrevInfad workgroup (Spanish Association of Primary Care Pediatrics) updated their document on road safety in April 2019, providing recommendations and a summary of the existing evidence. Preventive strategies for injuries in childhood are mainly based on surveillance data and the identification of risk factors. The key strategies for preventing unintentional injuries are a combination of environmental and behaviour modification, that can be achieved through engineering, enforcement and education. Consequently, for this kind of strategies, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of both the intervention itself, and the way the intervention is advised to parents and caretakers so that there is good compliance of the recommendation.

Social inequalities and hospital admission for unintentional injury in young children in Scotland: A nationwide linked cohort study

Background

Unintentional injury is a leading cause of death/disability, with more disadvantaged children at greater risk. Understanding how inequalities vary by injury type, age, severity, and place of injury, can inform prevention.

Methods

For all Scotland-born children 2009-2013 (n=195,184), hospital admissions for unintentional injury (HAUI) were linked to socioeconomic circumstances (SECs) at birth: area deprivation via the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), mother's occupational social class, parents’ relationship status. HAUI was examined from birth-five, and during infancy. We examined HAUI frequency, severity, injury type, and injury location (home vs. elsewhere). We estimated relative inequalities using the relative indices of inequality (RII, 95% CIs), before and after adjusting for demographics and other non-mediating SECs.

Findings

More disadvantaged children were at greater risk of any HAUI from birth-five, RII: 1•59(1•49-1•70), 1•74(1•62-1•86), 1•97(1•84-2•12) for area deprivation, maternal occupational social class, and relationship status respectively. These attenuated after adjustment (1•15 [1•06-1•24], 1.22 [1•12-1•33], 1.32 [1•21-1•44]). Inequalities were greater for severe (vs. non-severe), multiple (vs. one-off) and home (vs. other location) injuries. Similar patterns were seen in infancy, excluding SIMD-inequalities in falls, where infants living in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods were at lower risk (0•79 [0•62-1•00]). After adjustment, reverse SIMD-gradients were also observed for all injuries and poisonings.

Interpretation

Children living in more disadvantaged households are more likely to be injured across multiple dimensions of HAUI in Scotland. Upstream interventions which tackle family-level disadvantage may be most effective at reducing childhood HAUI.

Funding

Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office.

Analysis of Unintentional Falls in Pediatric Population and Predictors of Morbidity

INTRODUCTION

Unintentional falls are a leading cause of pediatric traumatic injury. This study evaluates clinical outcomes of fall-related injuries in children under the age of 10.

METHODS

The National Trauma Database was queried for children who experienced an unintentional fall. Patients were stratified by age in two groups: 1-5 and 6-10 years old. The primary outcome was post discharge extension of care, defined as transfer to skilled nursing facility or rehabilitation center after discharge from the hospital. Descriptive statistics and a multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to compare the two groups.

RESULTS

From 2009 to 2016, a total of 8,277 pediatric patients experienced an unintentional fall, with 93.6% of patients being discharged home. Falls were more common in younger children, with greater odds of post discharge extension of care. Predictors of increased associated risk of extended medical care included intracranial hemorrhage (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.06) and thoracic injuries (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00-1.1.05) (P< 0.05). Mortality in pediatric patients suffering unintentional falls was a rare event occurring in 0.7% of cases in children 1-5 years old and 0.4% of children 6-10 years old.

CONCLUSION

The majority of children experiencing an unintentional fall are discharged home, with mortality being very rare. However, younger age is prone to more severe and serious injury patterns. Intracranial hemorrhage and thoracic injury were a predictor of need for extended medical care.

Prevalence of Cervical Spondylolisthesis in the Sagittal Plane Using Radiographic Imaging in a Pediatric Population: A Cross Sectional Analysis of Vertebral Subluxation

INTRODUCTION

Cervical Spondylolisthesis (CS) in children is under-studied. This cross-sectional study reports the CS prevalence in children.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Subjects were selected from a private practice. Inclusion criteria: 0-17 years of age; documented demographics and health complaints; neutral lateral cervical (NLC) radiographs; and CS. Exclusion criteria: pseudosubluxation.

RESULTS

342 NLC radiographs were analyzed. 73 (21.3%) had CS greater than 2.0 mm. 42 (57.5%) had no musculoskeletal complaints. 8 (2.3%) had the presence of a CS greater than 3.5 mm. 5 (62.5%) had no musculoskeletal complaints.

DISCUSSION

Pediatric populations endure various traumas. Pediatric cervical spine biomechanics has an increased risk of upper cervical spine injury. Regular spinal radiographic exams may help identify serious spinal conditions in their pre-symptomatic state.

CONCLUSION

CS in pediatric populations is under-studied. CS is present in children and adolescents with and without symptoms.

Unintentional falls among children in rural Ghana and associated factors: a cluster-randomized, population-based household survey

INTRODUCTION

falls contribute to almost one-fifth of injury-related deaths. The majority of these occur in low- and middle-income countries. The impact of fall injury in low- and middle-income countries is greater in younger individuals. We aimed to determine the epidemiology of falls among rural Ghanaian children.

METHODS

from March to May, 2018, we conducted a cluster-randomized household survey of caregivers in a rural Ghanaian sub-district, regarding household child falls and their severity. We utilized a previously validated survey tool for household child injury. Associations between household child falls and previously described predictors of household child injury were examined with multivariable logistic regression. These included age and gender of the child, household socioeconomic status, caregiver education, employment status, and their beliefs on why household child injuries occur.

RESULTS

three hundred and fifty-seven caregivers of 1,016 children were surveyed. One hundred and sixty-four children under 18 years had sustained a household fall within the past six months, giving a household child fall prevalence of 16% (95% C.I, 14%-19%). Mean age was 4.4 years; 59% were males. Ground level falls were more common (80%). Severity was mostly moderate (86%). Most caregivers believed household child injuries occurred due to lack of supervision (85%) or unsafe environment (75%); only 2% believed it occurred because of fate. Girls had reduced odds of household falls (adjusted O.R 0.6; 95% C.I 0.4-0.9). Five to nine year-old and 15-17 year-old children had reduced odds of household falls (adjusted O.R 0.4; 95% C.I 0.2-0.7 and 0.1; 95% C.I 0.02-0.3, respectively) compared to 1-4 year-olds. Caregiver engagement in non-salary paying work was associated with increased odds of household child falls (adjusted O.R 2.2; 95% C.I 1.0-4.7) compared to unemployed caregivers. There was no association between household child falls and caregiver education, socioeconomic status and beliefs about why household child injuries occurred.

CONCLUSION

the prevalence of household child falls in rural Ghana was 16%. This study confirms the need to improve supervision of all children to reduce household falls, especially younger children and particularly boys. Majority of caregivers also acknowledge the role of improper child supervision and unsafe environments in household child falls. These beliefs should be reinforced and emphasized in campaigns to prevent household child falls in rural communities.

Day care as a strategy for drowning prevention in children under 6 years of age in low- and middle-income countries

BACKGROUND

Drowning is responsible for an estimated 320,000 deaths a year, and over 90% of drowning mortality occurs in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), with peak drowning rates among children aged 1 to 4 years. In this age group, mortality due to drowning is particularly common in rural settings and about 75% of drowning accidents happen in natural bodies of water close to the home. Providing adequate child supervision can protect children from drowning, and organized formal day care programs could offer a way to achieve this.

OBJECTIVES

Primary objective • To assess the effects of day care programs for children under 6 years of age on drowning-related mortality or morbidity, or on total drowning accidents (fatal and non-fatal), in LMICs, compared to no day care programs or other drowning prevention interventions Secondary objectives • To assess the effects of day care programs in LMICs for children under 6 years of age on unsafe water exposure • To assess safety within these programs (e.g. transmission of infection within day care, physical or sexual abuse of children within day care) • To assess the incidence of unintentional injury within these programs • To describe the cost-effectiveness of such programs, in relation to averted drowning-related mortality or morbidity SEARCH METHODS: On November 23, 2019, and for an update on August 18, 2020, we searched MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, CENTRAL, ERIC, and CINAHL, as well as two trial registries. On December 16, 2019, and for an update on February 9, 2021, we searched 12 other resources, including websites of organizations that develop programs targeted to children.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomized, quasi-randomized, and non-randomized controlled studies (with explicitly listed specific study design features) that implemented formal day care programs as a single program or combined with additional out-of-day care components (such as educational activities aimed at preventing injury or drowning or early childhood development activities) for children of preschool age (below 6 years of age) in LMICs for comparison with no such programs or with other drowning prevention interventions. Studies had to report at least one outcome related to drowning or injury prevention for the children enrolled.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently performed study selection and data extraction, as well as risk of bias and GRADE assessment.

MAIN RESULTS

Two non-randomized observational studies, conducted in rural Bangladesh, involving a total of 252,631 participants, met the inclusion criteria for this review. One of these studies compared a formal day care program combined with parent education, playpens provided to parents, and community-based activities as additional out-of-day care components versus no such program. Overall we assessed this study to be at moderate risk of bias (moderate risk of bias due to confounding, low risk of bias for other domains). This study showed that implementation of a formal day care program combined with parent education, provision of playpens to parents, and community-based activities, in a rural area with a high drowning incidence, likely reduces the risk of death from drowning over the study period of 4 years and 8 months compared to no day care program (hazard ratio 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.06 to 0.58; 1 study, 136,577 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Drowning morbidity (non-fatal drowning resulting in complications), total drowning (fatal and non-fatal), unsafe water exposure, and program safety (e.g. transmission of infection within day care, physical or sexual abuse of children within day care) were not reported, nor was the incidence of other unintentional injuries. Cost-effectiveness was reported as 812 USD (95% CI 589 to 1777) per disability-adjusted life-year averted as a consequence of drowning (moderate-certainty evidence). The second study compared day care programs with or without playpens provided to parents as an additional component versus only playpens provided to parents as an alternative drowning prevention intervention. Overall we assessed the study to be at critical risk of bias because we judged bias due to confounding to be at critical risk. As the certainty of evidence was very low, we are uncertain about the effects on drowning mortality rate of implementing a day care program compared to providing playpens (rate ratio 0.25, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.41; 1 study; 76,575 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Likewise, we are uncertain about the effects of a day care program with playpens provided as an additional component versus playpens provided alone (rate ratio 0.06, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.12; 1 study, 45,460 participants; very low-certainty evidence). The other outcomes of interest - drowning morbidity, total drowning, unsafe water exposure, program safety, incidence of other unintentional injuries, and cost-effectiveness - were not reported.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

This review provides evidence suggesting that a day care program with additional out-of-day care components such as community-based education, parent education, and playpens provided to parents likely reduces the drowning mortality risk in regions with a high burden of drowning compared to no intervention.

Exploring the Impact of Remoteness and Socio-Economic Status on Child and Adolescent Injury-Related Mortality in Australia

Injuries are a leading cause of harm for children. This study explores the impact of determinants of health on children (0-19 years) injury-related mortality (namely remoteness and socio-economic disadvantage, calculated using the index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD)). Cause of death data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics were sourced for children in Australia between 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2017. Fifteen injury categories (ICD-10-AM external cause codes) were used. Burden and trends by injury mechanism were explored. A total of 5153 children died; with road traffic incidents (3.39 per 100,000 population), intentional self-harm (2.46) and drowning (0.72) being the leading mechanisms. Female fatality rates in very remote areas (8.73) were nine times higher than in major cities (Relative Risk [RR] = 8.73; 95% Confidence Interval [95% CI]: 4.23-18.00). Fatality rates increased with remoteness; very remote areas recording an injury-related fatality rated six times (RR = 5.84; 95% CI: 3.76-9.12) that of major city residents. Accidental poisoning and intentional self-harm fatalities were more likely in high IRSAD areas, while road traffic fatalities were more likely in low and mid socio-economic areas (X2 = 69.1; p < 0.001). People residing in regional and remote areas and from low socio-economic backgrounds already face significant health and lifestyle challenges associated with disadvantage. It is time to invest in injury prevention interventions for these populations, as well as upstream policy strategies to minimize any further preventable loss of life.

Age in months and birth order in infant nonfatal injuries: A retrospective cohort study

Objective

To examine the age in months at which infants visited outpatient clinics or emergency rooms for the first time for nonfatal injuries and to identify risk factors for the occurrence of these injuries.

Study design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

We used a health insurance claims database in Japan. Infants born between April 2012 and December 2014 were identified and followed until 12 months of age. We identified their first visit to outpatient clinics or emergency rooms because of nonfatal injuries (wounds/fractures, foreign bodies, and burns). Cox regression analysis was used to examine the association of nonfatal injuries with infants’ sex, birth order, and parental age.

Results

We identified 46,431 eligible infants. Of these, 7606 (16.4%) were brought to an outpatient clinic or emergency room for nonfatal injuries within 12 months of birth. Of the 7,606, 21.7% were aged ≤4 months and 44.7% ​≤ ​7 months. First-born infants were more likely to have wounds/fractures and burns.

Conclusion

One-fifth of first nonfatal infant injuries occurred within 4 months of age. Healthcare providers should provide early education about injury prevention, especially to caregivers of first-born infants.

•

Nonfatal injuries within first year of birth occurred in 16% of infants.

•

22% of first injuries occurred within 4 months of birth.

•

First-born infants were more likely to have wounds/fractures and burns.

Epidemiology of facial fractures: incidence, prevalence and years lived with disability estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2017 study

BACKGROUND

The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) has historically produced estimates of causes of injury such as falls but not the resulting types of injuries that occur. The objective of this study was to estimate the global incidence, prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs) due to facial fractures and to estimate the leading injurious causes of facial fracture.

METHODS

We obtained results from GBD 2017. First, the study estimated the incidence from each injury cause (eg, falls), and then the proportion of each cause that would result in facial fracture being the most disabling injury. Incidence, prevalence and YLDs of facial fractures are then calculated across causes.

RESULTS

Globally, in 2017, there were 7 538 663 (95% uncertainty interval 6 116 489 to 9 493 113) new cases, 1 819 732 (1 609 419 to 2 091 618) prevalent cases, and 117 402 (73 266 to 169 689) YLDs due to facial fractures. In terms of age-standardised incidence, prevalence and YLDs, the global rates were 98 (80 to 123) per 100 000, 23 (20 to 27) per 100 000, and 2 (1 to 2) per 100 000, respectively. Facial fractures were most concentrated in Central Europe. Falls were the predominant cause in most regions.

CONCLUSIONS

Facial fractures are predominantly caused by falls and occur worldwide. Healthcare systems and public health agencies should investigate methods of all injury prevention. It is important for healthcare systems in every part of the world to ensure access to treatment resources.

Mechanisms of accidental fall injuries and involved injury factors: a registry-based study

Background

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, but fall injury circumstances differ by age. We studied the circumstances of accidental fall injuries by age in Shenkursk District, Northwest Russia, using the data from the population-based Shenkursk Injury Registry.

Methods

Data on accidental fall injuries (hereafter: fall injuries) occurring in January 2015–June 2018 were extracted from the Shenkursk Injury Registry (N = 1551) and categorized by age group (0–6, 7–17, 18–59, and 60+ years). The chi-square test and ANOVA were used to compare descriptive injury variables across age groups, and a two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify homogeneous groups of fall injuries by preceding circumstances.

Results

Half of recorded fall injuries in the 0–6 year age group occurred inside dwellings (49%). The largest cluster of falls (64%) mainly included climbing up or down on home furnishings. In the 7–17 year age group, public outdoor residential areas were the most common fall injury site (29%), and the largest cluster of falls (37%) involved physical exercise and sport or play equipment. Homestead lands or areas near a dwelling were the most typical fall injury sites in the age groups 18–59 and 60+ years (31 and 33%, respectively). Most frequently, fall injury circumstances in these groups involved slipping on ice-covered surfaces (32% in 18–59 years, 37% in 60+ years).

Conclusion

The circumstances of fall injuries in the Shenkursk District varied across age groups. This knowledge can be used to guide age-specific preventive strategies in the study area and similar settings.

Neighborhood Risk Factors for Pediatric Fall-Related Injuries: A Retrospective Analysis of a Statewide Hospital Network

BACKGROUND

Falls represent the leading cause of nonfatal unintentional injuries among children in the United States. Although unintentional injury risks have been studied, neighborhood impact on falls remains underexplored. This study examined the association of neighborhood attributes with rates of fall-related injuries.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of children who presented to emergency departments within a statewide hospital network for fall-related injuries between 2005 and 2014. Patients' home addresses were geocoded to identify US Census block groups (BGs). Average annual fall rates were computed for each BG. A neighborhood risk index was constructed using 8 socioeconomic BG measures (education, crowding, vacancy, renter occupancy, poverty, family structure, race/ethnicity, and housing age). Public outdoor recreational facilities in each BG were enumerated. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the association of neighborhood risk and recreational facilities with fall rates.

RESULTS

From 2005 to 2014, there were 139,986 unintentional injury emergency department visits; of these, 42,691 (30%) were for falls. The largest proportion of falls were among males (58%), children ages 1 to 4 years (39%), non-Hispanic whites (59%), and children with public health insurance (53%). Higher quintiles of neighborhood risk were associated with higher annual fall rates compared to the lowest quintile of risk: quintile 2, β = 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.20-0.68; quintile 3, β = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.61-1.10; quintile 4, β = 1.11, 95% CI, 0.85-1.37; quintile 5, β = 1.57, 95% CI, 1.29-1.85. The presence of public outdoor recreational facilities was not associated with fall rates (β = 0.01; 95% CI, -0.14 to 0.15).

CONCLUSION

Neighborhood-level socioeconomic characteristics are associated with higher fall-related injuries. Injury prevention programs could be tailored to address these neighborhood risks.

Keeping children safe: a model for predicting families at risk for recurrent childhood injuries

OBJECTIVE

Existing research on recurrent unintentional injury (UI) focuses on the individual child rather than family risks. This study developed a statistical model for identifying families at highest risk, for potential use in targeting public health interventions.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective birth cohort study of hospital and emergency room (ER) medical records of children born in Ziv hospital between 2005 and 2012, attending ER for UI between 2005 and 2015, was conducted.

METHODS

Using national IDs, we assigned children to mothers and created the family entity. Data were divided into two time periods. Negative binomial regression was used to examine predictive factors in the first period for recurrent child UI in the second period. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the model's robustness.

RESULTS

Eight predictive factors for child injury (P < 0.05) were found: male gender, the number of UI visits, the number of illness visits, age 36-59 months, birth weight <1500 g, maternal ER visits, siblings' UI visits, and the number of younger siblings. Some predictive factors are documented in the literature; others are novel. Five were significant in all sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

These factors can assist in predicting risk for a child's repeat UI and family's cumulative UI risk. The model may offer a valuable and novel approach to targeting interventions for families at highest risk.

Falls in Hospitalized Children With Neurodevelopmental Conditions: A Cross-sectional, Correlational Study

PURPOSE

The aim of the current study was to investigate in-hospital falls among children with neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions and investigated associated child characteristics.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, correlational study design was used in this study. A total of 446 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 298 were admitted with neurological conditions and 148 with neurodevelopmental conditions.

METHODS

Intelligent quotient (IQ) was assessed according to age, and the Humpty Dumpty Falls Scale (HDFS) was completed and scored for each participant.

FINDINGS

The neurodevelopmental group showed higher HDFS total mean score (p = .001) compared to the neurological group. We found that fall rates are more frequent (p = .003) in the neurodevelopmental group (12.9%) compared with the neurological group (5.1%). In addition, we found that, in both groups, HDFS total mean score correlates negatively with children's age, gender and IQ.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The results of this study suggest that the fall prevention programs must be implemented in children with neurodevelopmental conditions, not only in children with neurological conditions.

Are There Changes in Inequalities in Injuries? A Review of Evidence in the WHO European Region

Decreases in injury rates globally and in Europe in the past decades, although encouraging, may mask previously reported social inequalities between and within countries that persist or even increase. European research on this issue has not been systematically reviewed, which is the aim of this article. Between and within-country studies from the WHO European Region that investigate changes in social inequalities in injuries over time or in recent decades were sought in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Of the 27 studies retained, seven were cross-country and 20 were country-specific. Twelve reported changes in inequalities over time and the remaining 15 shed light on other aspects of inequalities. A substantial downward trend in injuries is reported for all causes and cause-specific ones—alongside persisting inequalities between countries and, in a majority of studies, within countries. Studies investigate diverse questions in different population groups. Depending on the social measure and injury outcome considered, many report inequalities in injuries albeit to a varying degree. Despite the downward trends in risk levels, relative social inequalities in injuries remain a persisting public health issue in the European Region.

Dynamic Postural Control in Children: Do the Arms Lend the Legs a Helping Hand?

There is growing empirical evidence lending support to the existence of an "upper body strategy" to extend the ankle and hip strategies in maintaining upright postural stability among adults. Both postural stability and arm movement functions are still developing in children. Therefore, enquiry concerning arm contribution to postural stability among children is needed. This proof of concept study seeks to determine whether the arms play a functionally relevant role in dynamic postural control among children. Twenty-nine children (girls, n = 15; age, 10.6 ± 0.5 years; height, 1.48 ± 0.08 m; mass, 42.8 ± 11.4 kg; BMI, 19.2 ± 3.7 kg/m²) completed three dynamic balance tests; (1) Y Balance test^®, (2) timed balance beam walking test, (3) transition from dynamic to static balance using the dynamic postural stability index (DPSI). Each test was performed with free and restricted arm movement. Restricting arm movements elicited a marked degradation in the Y Balance reach distance (all directions, P ≤ 0.001, d = -0.85 to -1.13) and timed balance beam walking test (P ≤ 0.001, d = 1.01), while the DPSI was the only metric that was not different between free and restricted arm movements (P = 0.335, d = -0.08). This study provides direct evidence that the arms play a functionally relevant role in dynamic balance performance among children. These findings may provide the impetus to develop training interventions to improve the use of the arms in activities of daily living.

Consumer Products Contributing to Fall Injuries in Children Aged <1 to 19 Years Treated in US Emergency Departments, 2010 to 2013: An Observational Study

Consumer products are often associated with fall injuries, but there is limited research on nonfatal unintentional falls in children that examines both the child’s age group and the involvement of consumer products and activities. We combined 2 data sources to investigate products and activities that contribute to fall injuries in children at different developmental ages (ie, <1, 1-2, 3-4, 5-9, 10-14, and 15-19 years). We analyzed data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System–All Injury Program for the years 2010 through 2013 and augmented it with product information from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Between 2010 and 2013, children aged <1 to 19 years accounted for 11.1 million nonfatal unintentional fall-related emergency department visits. Fall injuries associated with home furnishings/fixtures were highest among children in age groups <1 year, 1 to 2 years, and 3 to 4 years. In the home furnishings/fixtures product group, beds were the leading contributor to falls. Fall injuries associated with sports/recreation were highest among children in age groups 5 to 9 years, 10 to 14 years, and 15 to 19 years. In this product group, monkey bars and basketball were the leading contributors to falls. Our findings indicate priority areas for falls injury prevention and intervention.

Age, Ethnicity, and Socioeconomic Factors Impacting Infant and Toddler Fall-Related Trauma

OBJECTIVE

To characterize trauma-related falls in infants and toddlers aged 0 to 3 years over a 4-year period and develop a risk stratification model of causes of fall injuries.

METHODS

Data on falls of 0 to 3 year olds from 2009 to 2012 were identified from a Jerusalem tertiary hospital trauma registry (N = 422) and the National Trauma Registry of Israel (N = 4,131).

RESULTS

Almost half of falls occurred during the first year of life, and 57% of the children were Jewish. The majority of the children lived in low socioeconomic environments, both in the Jewish (59.2%) and Arab (97.6%) samples. Most (74%) of the falls resulted in head injury. A classification and regression tree analysis indicated that falls from furniture were the leading cause of injury in 0 to 12 month olds (estimated probability of 37.9%), whereas slipping is the leading cause in 13 to 36 month olds (estimated probability of 38.4%). Age and ethnicity emerged as the leading predictors of the nature of a fall; Injury Severity Score and the child's sex were secondary. Compared with the national data, Jerusalem children had a higher incidence of falls from buildings (9.3%; 2.4%), a higher moderate-severe Injury Severity Score (>16), a higher incidence of traumatic brain injury, and a longer hospital length of stay (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The leading determinants of fall injuries in children below the age of 3 years are age, ethnicity, and low socioeconomic status. Future outreach community interventions should target these risk groups and be tailored to their defining characteristics.

Monitoring Injuries Associated with Mandated Children's Products in Australia: What Can the Data Tell Us?

Mandatory standard regulation is used within Australia to ensure the safety of consumer products, preventing product-related injury. Standard regulation is particularly important for products designed for use by children, who are highly vulnerable to sustaining product-related injuries due to their small size and inability to identify product hazards. This project aims to investigate how effectively information regarding product-related injuries is able to be captured within Australian health and coronial data. Further, it aims to investigate the extent to which child injury occurs for products for which mandatory safety standards exist through the review of available data. This study highlights significant limitations in injury surveillance data for identification and monitoring of child product-related injuries. This in turn limits the evidence base to assess the efficacy of existing regulations. Available data show baby walkers, cots, prams, nightwear, and bunk beds to be associated with a considerable number of child hospital presentations, admissions, and deaths. A significant scope for improvement in current product injury recording practices in the health sector exists.

The impact of neighborhood socioeconomic disparities on injury

OBJECTIVES

To examine the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic level (NSEL) and injury-related hospitalization.

METHODS

The National Trauma Registry (INTR) and the National Population Census (NPC), including NSEL, were linked by individual identity number. Age-adjusted logistic regression predicted injury hospitalization. Mantel-Haenszel  X² was used for linear trends. NSEL was divided into 20 clusters.

RESULTS

The population comprised 7,412,592 residents, of which 125,829 (1.7%) were hospitalized due to injury. The injury hospitalization rate was at least 42 per 10,000 per year. Except for the very low SEL, an inverse relationship between NSEL and all-cause injury was found: 46.1/10,000 in cluster 3 compared to 22.9/10,000 in cluster 20. Hip fracture-related hospitalizations among ages 65 + decreased as SEL increased (2.19% o in cluster 2 compared to 0.95% in cluster 19). In comparison with Jews, non-Jews were 1.5 times more likely to have an injury-related hospitalization [OR 1.5 (95% CI 1.50-1.55)].

CONCLUSIONS

The INTR and the NPC were successfully linked providing individual and injury hospitalization data. The outcomes confirm the strong relationship between injury mechanism and NSEL.

Interventions to reduce accidents in childhood: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To review the literature on interventions planned to prevent the incidence of injuries in childhood.

SOURCE OF DATA

The PubMed, Web of Science, and Bireme databases were searched by two independent reviewers, employing the single terms accidents, accident, injuries, injury, clinical trial, intervention, educational intervention, and multiple interventions, and their combinations, present in the article title or abstract, with no limits except period of publication (2006-2016) and studies in human subjects.

SYNTHESIS OF DATA

Initially, 11,097 titles were located. Fifteen articles were selected for the review. Eleven were randomized trials (four carried out at the children's households, five in pediatric healthcare services, and two at schools), and four were non-randomized trials carried out at the children's households. Four of the randomized trials were analyzed by intention-to-treat and a protective effect of the intervention was observed: decrease in the number of risk factors, decrease in the number of medical consultations due to injuries, decrease in the prevalence of risk behaviors, and increase of the parents' knowledge regarding injury prevention in childhood.

CONCLUSION

Traumatic injuries in childhood are amenable to primary prevention through strategies that consider the child's age and level of development, as well as structural aspects of the environment.

Transition versus Continuous Slope Walking: Adaptation to Change Center of Mass Velocity in Young Men

During continuous uphill walking (UW) or downhill walking, human locomotion is modified to counteract the gravitational force, aiding or impeding the body's forward momentum, respectively. This study aimed at investigating the center of mass (COM) and center of pressure (COP) velocities and their relative distance during the transition from uphill to downhill walking (UDW) to determine whether locomotor adjustments differ between UDW and UW. Fourteen participants walked on a triangular slope and a continuous upslope of 15°. The kinematics and COPs were obtained using a force plate and a motion capture system. The vertical velocity of the COM in the propulsion phase, the horizontal distance between the COM and COP at initial contact, and the duration of the subphases significantly differed between UDW and UW (all p < 0.05). Compared with the results of UW, longer durations and the deeper downward moving COM in the propulsion phase were observed during UDW (all p < 0.05). Additionally, a shorter horizontal distance between the COM and COP at initial contact was associated with a slower vertical COM velocity in the propulsion phase during UDW. The reduced velocity is likely a gait alteration to decrease the forward momentum of the body during UDW.

Pediatric falls ages 0-4: understanding demographics, mechanisms, and injury severities

Background

Pediatric unintentional falls are the leading cause of injury-related emergency visits for children < 5 years old. The purpose of this study was to identify population characteristics, injury mechanisms, and injury severities and patterns among children < 5 years to better inform age-appropriate falls prevention strategies.

Methods

This retrospective database study used trauma registry data from the lead pediatric trauma system in Georgia. Data were analyzed for all patients < 5 years with an international classification of disease, 9th revision, clinical modification (ICD-9 CM) external cause of injury code (E-code) for unintentional falls between 1/1/2013 and 12/31/2015. Age (months) was compared across categories of demographic variables, injury mechanisms, and emergency department (ED) disposition using Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and the Mann Whitney U test. The relationships between demographic variables, mechanism of injury (MOI), and Injury Severity Score (ISS) were evaluated using multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Inclusion criteria were met by 1086 patients (median age = 28 months; 59.7% male; 53.8% White; 49.1% <  1 m fall height). Younger children, < 1-year-old, primarily fell from caregiver’s arms, bed, or furniture, while older children sustained more falls from furniture and playgrounds. Children who fell from playground equipment were older (median = 49 months, p < 0.01) than those who fell from the bed (median = 10 months), stairs (median = 18 months), or furniture (median = 19 months). Children < 1 year had the highest proportion of head injuries including skull fracture (63.1%) and intracranial hemorrhage (65.5%), 2-year-old children had the highest proportion of femur fractures (32.9%), and 4-year-old children had the highest proportion of humerus fractures (41.0%). Medicaid patients were younger (median = 24.5 months, p < 0.01) than private payer (median = 34 months). Black patients were younger (median = 20.5 months, p < 0.001) than White patients (median = 29 months). Results from multinomial logistic regression models suggest that as age increases, odds of a severe ISS (16–25) decreased (OR = 0.95, CI = 0.93–0.97).

Conclusions

Pediatric unintentional falls are a significant burden of injury for children < 5 years. Future work will use these risk and injury profiles to inform current safety recommendations and develop evidence-based interventions for parents/caregivers and pediatric providers.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s40621-018-0147-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Pediatric falls from windows and balconies: incidents and risk factors as reported by newspapers in the United Arab Emirates

Background

Falls of children from heights (balconies and windows) usually result in severe injuries and death. Details on child falls from heights in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are not easily accessible. Our aim was to assess the incidents, personal, and environmental risk factors for pediatric falls from windows/balconies using newspaper clippings.

Methods

We used a retrospective study design to electronically assess all major UAE national Arabic and English newspapers for reports of unintentional child falls from windows and balconies during 2005–2016. A structured data collection form was developed to collect information. Data were entered into an Excel sheet and descriptive analysis was performed.

Results

Newspaper clippings documented 96 fall incidents. After cleaning the data and excluding duplicate cases and intentional injuries, 81 cases were included into the final analysis. Fifty-three percent (n = 42) were boys. The mean (range) age was 4.9 years (1–15). Thirty-eight (47%) children fell from windows and 36 (44%) from balconies. Twenty-two (27%) children climbed on the furniture placed on a balcony or close to a window. Twenty-five (31%) children were not alone in the apartment when they fell. Twenty-nine children fell from less than 5 floors (37%), 33 from 5 to 10 floors (42%) and 16 from more than 10 floors (21%). Fifteen children (19%) were hospitalized and survived the fall incident, while 66 died (81%).

Conclusions

Newspapers proved to be useful to study pediatric falls from heights. It is necessary to improve window safety by installing window guards and raising awareness.

Comparison of ISS, NISS, and RTS score as predictor of mortality in pediatric fall

Background

Studies to identify an ideal trauma score tool representing prediction of outcomes of the pediatric fall patient remains elusive. Our study was undertaken to identify better predictor of mortality in the pediatric fall patients.

Methods

Data was retrieved from prospectively maintained trauma registry project at level 1 trauma center developed as part of Multicentric Project—Towards Improving Trauma Care Outcomes (TITCO) in India. Single center data retrieved from a prospectively maintained trauma registry at a level 1 trauma center, New Delhi, for a period ranging from 1 October 2013 to 17 February 2015 was evaluated. Standard anatomic scores Injury Severity Score (ISS) and New Injury Severity Score (NISS) were compared with physiologic score Revised Trauma Score (RTS) using receiver operating curve (ROC).

Results

Heart rate and RTS had a statistical difference among the survivors to nonsurvivors. ISS, NISS, and RTS were having 50, 50, and 86% of area under the curve on ROCs, and RTS was statistically significant among them.

Conclusions

Physiologically based trauma score systems (RTS) are much better predictors of inhospital mortality in comparison to anatomical based scoring systems (ISS and NISS) for unintentional pediatric falls.

Changing state of pediatric injuries in South Africa: An analysis of surveillance data from a Pediatric Emergency Department from 2007 to 2011

BACKGROUND

Pediatric injuries are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Data to characterize the cause and risk factors associated with childhood injuries in low- and middle-income countries are very scarce. The aim of this study is to describe the cause of pediatric injuries and their possible changes between 2007 and 2011 using hospital-based data in Cape Town, South Africa.

METHODS

Data from injured children <13 years of age who presented to the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital's emergency department in 2007 and 2011 were captured in Childsafe South Africa's trauma surveillance system. Poisson regression was used to assess changes in rates of injury between 2007 and 2011 in terms of demographics, geographic location of injury, type of injury mechanism, injury severity, and anatomic region of the sustained injury.

RESULTS

In total, 14,915 injured children with 15,414 injuries presented to Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in 2007 and 2011. The mean age was 5.01 ± 3.5 years and 60.3% were male. Common mechanisms of injury included falls (n = 6,036; 40%), road traffic injuries (n = 1,939; 13%), burns (n = 1,885; 12.6%), and assault (n = 640; 4.3%). Comparing 2011 to 2007, the incidence of road traffic injuries has decreased by 7% (P < .05) while burn injuries increased 11% (P < .05). Seventy-three percent (73%) of injuries that presented to Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital occurred in the Cape Flats area of Cape Town, where many informal settlements exist.

CONCLUSION

These epidemiologic findings suggest that while road traffic injuries decreased and burn injuries increased at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, there is a need for data that are population-based and not hospital based. If we could describe injuries accurately within the pediatric population of a city such as Cape Town, we could in turn use this data to strengthen the need for targeted interventions to address risk factors for pediatric injuries. Despite this, hospital-based data remain a powerful tool to study injuries in low and middle-income countries.

What is the Relationship between Risky Outdoor Play and Health in Children? A Systematic Review

Risky outdoor play has been associated with promoting children’s health and development, but also with injury and death. Risky outdoor play has diminished over time, concurrent with increasing concerns regarding child safety and emphasis on injury prevention. We sought to conduct a systematic review to examine the relationship between risky outdoor play and health in children, in order to inform the debate regarding its benefits and harms. We identified and evaluated 21 relevant papers for quality using the GRADE framework. Included articles addressed the effect on health indicators and behaviours from three types of risky play, as well as risky play supportive environments. The systematic review revealed overall positive effects of risky outdoor play on a variety of health indicators and behaviours, most commonly physical activity, but also social health and behaviours, injuries, and aggression. The review indicated the need for additional “good quality” studies; however, we note that even in the face of the generally exclusionary systematic review process, our findings support the promotion of risky outdoor play for healthy child development. These positive results with the marked reduction in risky outdoor play opportunities in recent generations indicate the need to encourage action to support children’s risky outdoor play opportunities. Policy and practice precedents and recommendations for action are discussed.

Trends in moderate to severe paediatric trauma in Central Netherlands

INTRODUCTION

Trend analyses of hospital discharge data can raise signals for prevention policies, but are often flawed by changes in health care consumption. This is a trend analysis of the clinical incidence of paediatric trauma that used international criteria to overcome this bias. The objective is to describe trends in clinical incidence of moderate to severe paediatric trauma, and to identify target groups for prevention activities.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Included were all paediatric trauma patients (0-18 years) that were discharged from the hospitals of trauma care region Central Netherlands from 1996 to 2009. Selection was made on ISS ≥ 4, and on trauma related International Classification of Diseases diagnostic codes, and trauma related external causes of injury and poisoning codes. Trend analyses were performed using Poisson loglinear regression with correction for age and gender.

RESULTS

23,682 Patients were included, the mean incidence rate was 477/100,000 person-years. Since 2001 the incidence rate of moderate to severe trauma increased with 1.1% annually (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7-1.5), caused by an increase of falls (3.9%, 95% CI 3.3-4.5), sport injuries (5.4%, 95% CI 4.3-6.5), and bicycle injuries (3.8%, 95% CI 2.8-4.8). The incidence of falls and sport injuries peaked in young children (0-9) and older boys (10-18) respectively. Bicycle injuries affected all children between 5 and 18.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of paediatric trauma in the centre of the Netherlands increased since 2001. Trend analyses on moderate and severe injuries may identify target groups for prevention in a trauma region.

Network meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to prevent falls in children under age 5 years

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to simultaneously evaluate the effectiveness of a range of interventions to increase the possession of safety equipment or behaviours to prevent falls in children under 5 years of age in the home.

METHODS

A recently published systematic review identified studies to be included in a network meta-analysis; an extension of pairwise meta-analysis that enables comparison of all evaluated interventions simultaneously, including comparisons not directly compared in individual studies.

RESULTS

29 primary studies were identified, of which 16 were included in at least 1 of 4 network meta-analyses. For increasing possession of a fitted stair gate, the most intensive intervention (including education, low cost/free home safety equipment, home safety inspection and fitting) was the most likely to be the most effective, with an OR versus usual care of 7.80 (95% CrI 3.08 to 21.3). For reducing possession or use of a baby walker: education only was most likely to be most effective, with an OR versus usual care of 0.48 (95% CrI 0.31 to 0.84). Little difference was found between interventions for possession of window locks (most intensive intervention versus usual care OR=1.56 (95% CrI 0.02 to 89.8)) and for not leaving a child alone on a high surface (education vs usual care OR=0.89 (95% CrI 0.10 to 9.67)). There was insufficient evidence for network meta-analysis for possession and use of bath mats.

CONCLUSIONS

These results will inform healthcare providers of the most effective components of interventions and can be used in cost-effectiveness analyses.

Effects of resistance training on tendon mechanical properties and rapid force production in prepubertal children

Children develop lower levels of muscle force, and at slower rates, than adults. Although strength training in children is expected to reduce this differential, a synchronous adaptation in the tendon must be achieved to ensure forces continue to be transmitted to the skeleton with efficiency while minimizing the risk of strain-related tendon injury. We hypothesized that resistance training (RT) would alter tendon mechanical properties in children concomitantly with changes in force production characteristics. Twenty prepubertal children (age 8.9 ± 0.3 yr) were equally divided into control (nontraining) and experimental (training) groups. The training group completed a 10-wk RT intervention consisting of 2-3 sets of 8-15 plantar flexion contractions performed twice weekly on a recumbent calf-raise machine. Achilles tendon properties (cross-sectional area, elongation, stress, strain, stiffness, and Young's modulus), electromechanical delay (EMD; time between the onset of muscle activity and force), rate of force development (RFD; slope of the force-time curve), and rate of electromyographic (EMG) increase (REI; slope of the EMG time curve) were measured before and after RT. Tendon stiffness and Young's modulus increased significantly after RT in the experimental group only (∼29% and ∼25%, respectively); all other tendon properties were not significantly altered, although there were mean decreases in both peak tendon strain and strain at a given force level (14% and 24%, respectively; not significant) which may have implications for tendon injury risk and muscle fiber mechanics. A decrease of ∼13% in EMD was found after RT for the experimental group, which paralleled the increase in tendon stiffness (r = -0.59); however, RFD and REI were unchanged. The present data show that the Achilles tendon adapts to RT in prepubertal children and is paralleled by a change in EMD, although the magnitude of this change did not appear to be sufficient to influence RFD. These findings are of importance within the context of the efficiency and execution of movement.

Unintentional injury and its prevention in infant: knowledge and self-reported practices of main caregivers

BACKGROUND

Unintentional injuries are the major cause of morbidity and mortality in infants. Prevention of unintentional injuries has been shown to be effective with education. Understanding the level of knowledge and practices of caregivers in infant safety would be useful to identify gaps for improvement.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban government health clinic in Malaysia among main caregivers of infants aged 11 to 15 months. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a semi-structured self-designed questionnaire. Responses to the items were categorised by the percentage of correct answers: poor (<50%), moderate (50% - 70%) and good (>70%).

RESULTS

A total of 403 caregivers participated in the study. Of the 21 items in the questionnaire on knowledge, 19 had good-to-moderate responses and two had poor responses. The two items on knowledge with poor responses were on the use of infant walkers (26.8%) and allowing infants on motorcycles as pillion riders (27.3%). Self-reported practice of infant safety was poor. None of the participants followed all 19 safety practices measured. Eight (42.1%) items on self-reported practices had poor responses. The worst three of these were on the use of baby cots (16.4%), avoiding the use of infant walkers (23.8%) and putting infants to sleep in the supine position (25.6%). Better knowledge was associated with self-reported safety practices in infants (p < 0.05). However, knowledge did not correspond to correct practice, particularly on the use of baby cots, infant walkers and sarong cradles.

CONCLUSION

Main caregivers' knowledge on infant safety was good but self-reported practice was poor. Further research in the future is required to identify interventions that target these potentially harmful practices.