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Fatal accidental fall from height in infants and children: a study from South Delhi
C Behera1, Ravi Rautji, T D Dogra
1Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India.
Insights
Accidental falls from height are a significant cause of death in children, particularly toddlers. Head injuries are the most common fatal outcome, with rooftops and balconies being frequent fall locations.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Medicine
- Pediatric Pathology
- Public Health
Background:
- Accidental falls from height pose a critical threat to child safety.
- Understanding injury patterns and risk factors is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze child deaths resulting from accidental falls from height in South Delhi.
- To identify age, sex, location, injury patterns, and seasonal variations associated with these fatalities.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of 174 medicolegal autopsy cases of children aged 0-14 years.
- Data collected over a 10-year period (1998-2007) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
- Analysis included age, sex, fall location, injury type, cause of death, and seasonality.
Main Results:
- Children aged 1-4 years (toddlers, preschoolers, school-going) accounted for the highest proportion of fall deaths (92.5%).
- Head and facial injuries were most common (93.67%), with head injury being the primary cause of death (84.48%).
- Rooftops (38.50%) and balconies (24.13%) were the most frequent fall sites, with a higher incidence during the rainy season.
Conclusions:
- Falls from height represent a substantial cause of accidental child mortality, with significant risks associated with head injuries.
- Targeted prevention efforts focusing on high-risk locations like rooftops and balconies, especially during monsoon seasons, are essential.
- Child safety interventions should prioritize toddlers and young children, addressing environmental hazards in homes and surrounding areas.
Abstract:
One hundred and seventy-four deaths of infants and children due to accidental fall from height received from South Delhi for autopsy were studied during the 10-year period from January 1998 to December 2007 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Data were analysed with regard to age, sex, location of fall, height of fall, pattern of injury, cause of death and seasonal variation. These cases represented approximately 22.56% of all deaths due to a fall from height and 1.31% of all medicolegal autopsies conducted during the period. There were 106 male (60.9%) and 68 female (39.1%) victims. Age-specific rate of fall showed that the highest rate was in toddlers (39.65%), followed by 26.43% each in preschool children and school-going children and the least in infants (7.47%). The head and face was the most frequently injured body region (93.67%) and the skull was the commonest bone fractured (59.19%). The most common cause of death was head injury (84.48%). Major fall sites in decreasing order of frequency were rooftop (38.50%), balcony (24.13%), household furniture (21.26%), staircase (6.89%), window (4.59%), wall (1.72%), rickshaw/bicycle (1.15%) and tree (0.57%). Most fatalities due to a fall from height were reported in the rainy season.
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