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Published on: April 6, 2020
Incidence and risk factors of fall injuries among infants: a study in Greece
Xanthi Dedoukou1, Themis Spyridopoulos, Simon Kedikoglou
1Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Insights
Infant fall injuries are common in Greece, with nursery equipment frequently involved. Infant walkers pose a higher risk, leading to serious injuries, highlighting the need for safety awareness.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Falls represent a significant cause of injury among infants.
- Nursery equipment is often implicated in fall-related incidents.
- Understanding the incidence and causes of infant falls is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of fall injuries in Greek infants.
- To identify the types of nursery equipment associated with these injuries.
- To analyze the severity and outcomes of infant fall injuries.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System in Greece.
- Analyzed records of 2672 injured infants and conducted a survey of 777 non-injured children's mothers.
- Employed in-person interviews with guardians using a precoded questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Approximately 4400 infant fall injuries occur annually in Greece (44 per 1000 infants).
- Over 36% of fall injuries involved nursery equipment, with infant walkers showing a higher incidence (9 per 1000 infant-years).
- Severe injuries, including concussions and fractures, were common, with 10% requiring hospitalization.
Conclusions:
- Falls are a prevalent cause of severe infant injuries in Greece.
- Nursery equipment, particularly infant walkers, plays a significant role in fall-related injuries.
- Enhanced safety measures and awareness regarding nursery equipment are essential for infant injury prevention.
Objective:
To assess the incidence of fall injuries among infants in Greece, overall and by type of nursery equipment.
Design:
Review of data from a large injury database.
Setting:
The Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System in Greece.
Patients:
A total of 2672 injured infants.
Interventions:
Specially trained health visitors performed in-person interviews with the children's guardians, using a precoded questionnaire. The results of an independent survey of 777 mothers of noninjured children younger than 2 years attending the same emergency departments were used to allow quantification of the role of specific nursery equipment in the causation of infant fall injuries.
Main Outcome Measures:
Annual rate of injury by falling in infants, overall and by cause.
Results:
About 4400 infant fall injuries occur annually in Greece, corresponding to an annual incidence rate of 44 injuries per 1000 infants. The incidence of falls increases with increasing infant age. A high percentage of severe injuries was detected, most of them concussions (14.3%) and fractures (9.4%). Approximately 10% of infants with fall-related injuries required hospitalization. More than 36% of fall injuries involved nursery equipment. Infant walker use was associated with a higher incidence of falls (about 9 per 1000 infant-years), and these falls occasionally involved stairs and caused serious injuries. Infant bouncers, strollers, and changing tables were all associated with a similar incidence of falls (about 4 per 1000 infant-years).
Conclusions:
Falls are a common cause of serious infant injuries, and nursery equipment is frequently involved in the injury-causing event.
