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Pediatric window falls: not just a problem for children in high rises
N L Vish1, E C Powell, D Wiltsek
1Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Cininnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA. nora.vish@cchmc.org
Insights
Window falls are a common cause of injury for Chicago preschool children. Most falls occurred from lower floors in buildings with four stories or less, indicating a need for targeted prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Trauma
- Public Health Interventions
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Window falls represent a significant cause of injury among preschool children in Chicago.
- Successful public health initiatives in other cities highlight the potential for intervention.
- Local data are crucial for developing effective prevention strategies in Chicago.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize housing attributes associated with pediatric window fall injuries.
- To identify the types of injuries sustained by children in Chicago from window falls.
- To inform targeted injury prevention efforts for Chicago's child population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pediatric trauma cases involving window falls (1995-2002).
- Analysis of patient demographics, fall circumstances, and injury types.
- Site visits to assess building characteristics (height, stories) and window types.
Main Results:
- Ninety cases were reviewed; the median age was 2 years, with 55% males.
- Most falls (98%) were from the third floor or lower, in buildings with four stories or less (96%).
- Head trauma and extremity fractures were the most common injuries; three fatalities and three rehabilitation discharges occurred.
Conclusions:
- Window falls can lead to severe pediatric injuries.
- In Chicago, falls commonly originate from modest heights in low-rise buildings, not high-rises.
- Prevention strategies should focus on owners and occupants of low-rise residential buildings.
Background:
Window falls are a frequent cause of injury (15/100,000) among Chicago preschool children. In Boston and New York, public health efforts have successfully decreased window fall injuries. Local data are needed to develop appropriate interventions for Chicago.
Objective:
To describe the housing characteristics and types of injuries among children who fell from windows treated in a Chicago pediatric trauma center.
Methods:
Children treated in a pediatric trauma center for injuries related to window falls between 1995 and 2002 were identified retrospectively. We reviewed family demographics, the circumstances of the fall, and types of injuries. Site visits were performed to determine the height and type of building and type of window where the fall took place.
Results:
The authors reviewed 90 cases; 55 were male. The median age was 2 years. Ninety eight percent of falls were reported to be from the third floor or lower. Site visits (n=77) showed that 96% of the buildings were four storeys or lower. The median length of hospital stay was two days (range 0--24 days). The most common injuries were head trauma and extremity fractures. Three patients died, and an additional three patients were discharged to rehabilitation centers.
Conclusions:
Some window falls result in serious injury. In Chicago, most falls were from modest heights (2nd/3rd floor windows) in buildings of four or fewer storeys, rather than from "high rises". Strategies to prevent window falls should be directed to the owners and occupants of this type of housing.
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