Short vertical falls in infants

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 24, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

C A Tarantino1, M D Dowd, T C Murdock

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, USA.

Pediatric Emergency Care
|March 9, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Short vertical falls (SVF) in infants rarely cause severe injuries, with most resulting in minor harm. Being dropped by a caregiver poses a higher risk of significant injury compared to falls from furniture.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Injury Prevention
  • Child Safety

Background:

  • Short vertical falls (SVF) are common in infants.
  • Understanding injury patterns is crucial for appropriate medical evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define injuries resulting from short vertical falls in infants.
  • To compare injury severity based on fall mechanisms.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of infants under 10 months.
  • Analysis of injuries from falls up to 4 feet.
  • Comparison of outcomes for different fall types.

Main Results:

  • 167 infants were analyzed; 85% had minor or no injuries.
  • Significant injuries (15%) included head injuries, skull fractures, and long bone fractures.
  • Being dropped by a caregiver was independently associated with significant injury (OR: 6.4).

Conclusions:

  • Most infant short vertical falls result in minor injuries.
  • Falls from a caretaker's arms carry a higher risk of significant injury than falls from furniture.
  • Intracranial hemorrhage was not observed in non-abuse related SVF cases.
Abstract

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