Head injuries in children resulting from the fall of television
N Suresh1, G Harini, R Radhika
1Departments of Pediatrics and Neurosurgery, Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, Nageswara Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. drsuresh30@rediffmail.com
Insights
Pediatric head injuries from television falls are common in toddlers. Most children experienced bleeding and skull fractures, but thankfully, no fatalities were reported in this study.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Trauma Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Pediatric head injuries represent a significant public health concern.
- Television (TV) falls are an underreported cause of head trauma in young children.
- Understanding injury patterns is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of pediatric head injuries resulting from TV falls.
- To identify common injury patterns and demographic factors in affected children.
- To provide data for targeted injury prevention efforts.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of case records of children admitted with head injury due to TV fall.
- Study conducted at a pediatric tertiary care hospital in Chennai.
- Data collected from March 2007 to February 2008.
Main Results:
- Eleven children were admitted; 54% were aged 1-2 years.
- Bleeding from the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) was observed in 81.81% of cases.
- Skull fractures, identified via imaging, were present in 72.8% of children.
- No mortality was recorded among the studied children.
Conclusions:
- TV falls are a notable cause of head injury in young children, particularly toddlers.
- ENT bleeding and skull fractures are frequent findings in these injuries.
- Prompt medical attention can lead to favorable outcomes, as evidenced by the absence of mortality.
Abstract:
Case records of children admitted with head injury due to TV fall in a pediatric tertiary care hospital in Chennai, during March 2007-February 2008 were analysed retrospectively. Out of the 11 children admitted 6 (54%) were in 1-2 yr age group. Bleeding from the ear, nose and throat was the commonest, finding followed by a skull fracture, seen on imaging studies. These were observed in 9 (81.81%) and 8 (72.8%) children respectively. There was no mortality.
