Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 3, 2026
P50 Sensory Gating in Infants
Published on: December 26, 2013
Baby gate-related injuries among children in the United States, 1990-2010
Yao-Wen Cheng1, Erica N Fletcher1, Kristin J Roberts1
1Center for Injury Research and Policy, the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
Insights
Baby gate injuries are rising, with younger children often falling down stairs after gate collapse and older children sustaining wounds from contact. Increased awareness and safer designs are needed.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Safety
- Injury Epidemiology
- Consumer Product Safety
Background:
- Baby gates are common child safety devices.
- Home hazards pose risks to young children.
- Understanding baby gate-associated injuries is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the epidemiology of baby gate and barrier-associated injuries in children.
- To investigate differences in injury patterns between children aged ≤2 years and >2 years.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) data.
- Reviewed 1188 actual cases to generate national estimates.
- Analyzed injury characteristics based on age groups.
Main Results:
- An estimated 37,673 children were treated for baby gate injuries (1794 annually).
- Injury incidence increased from 3.9 to 12.5 per 100,000 children (1990-2010).
- Children <2 years: falls down stairs (gate collapse); Ages 2-6: contact injuries (wounds, soft-tissue).
Conclusions:
- Significant differences exist in injury types between age groups.
- Preventable injuries highlight the need for improved safety measures.
- Recommendations include promoting proper usage, enhancing product design, and age-specific guidelines.
Objective:
Baby gates are one of the most widely used home safety products to protect children from home hazards. The objective was to describe the epidemiology of baby gate and barrier-associated injuries among children. It was hypothesized that injuries experienced by children ages ≤2 years and those >2 years were significantly different as a result of differences in gate interactions.
Methods:
A retrospective analysis was conducted by using nationally representative data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. A total of 1188 actual cases were reviewed and national estimates generated.
Results:
An estimated 37,673 children were treated in emergency departments for injuries associated with gates, yielding an average of 1794 cases annually. The incidence of gate-related injuries increased significantly from 3.9 per 100,000 children in 1990 to 12.5 per 100,000 children in 2010 (P < .001). Patients were primarily boys (61.0%) and were <2 years of age (60.4%). Patients <2 years of age were most often injured by falls down stairs (odds ratio 6.72; 95% confidence interval 6.32-7.16) after the collapse of the gate. Patients aged 2 to 6 were most often injured by contact with the gate (odds ratio 2.03; 95% confidence interval 1.95-2.12), resulting in open wounds (55.4%) and soft-tissue injuries (24.2%).
Conclusions:
Given the clear dichotomy between injury characteristics of patients aged <2 years and patients aged 2 to 6 years of age, as well as the prevalence of preventable injuries, greater efforts are needed to promote proper usage, ensure safety in product design, and increase awareness of age-related recommendations for use of gates.
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