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Playground equipment-related head injuries requiring hospitalization in children
Hajime Ono1, Taigen Sase2, Hiroshi Takasuna2
1Department of Neurosurgery, St Marianna University School of Medicine, Toyoko Hospital, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
Insights
Playground equipment causes serious head injuries in children, including fractures and bleeding. Preventive strategies are needed to reduce these risks, especially from slides and swings on hard surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Trauma Surgery
- Public Health
Background:
- Playground equipment is a common source of head injuries in children.
- Understanding injury circumstances is crucial for developing prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the characteristics of playground equipment-related head injuries in children.
- To identify factors contributing to these injuries and inform preventive measures.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 42 children (<15 years) hospitalized for head injuries from February 1988 to January 2017.
- Data collected included age, sex, fall height, surface material, injury mechanism, diagnosis, and neurological outcome.
Main Results:
- Slides (47.6%) and swings (26.2%) were the most common equipment involved.
- Falls ranged from 1.2 to 2.5 m, often onto hard surfaces like soil or concrete.
- Head injuries varied based on child's age, injury mechanism, and equipment type.
Conclusions:
- Injuries included skull fractures, concussions, intracranial hemorrhage, and cases requiring surgery.
- Effective strategies are essential to reduce playground equipment-related head injuries in children.
Background:
The aim of this study was to investigate the circumstances of playground equipment-related head injuries in children and consider preventive measures based on the associated characteristics.
Methods:
The survey period was from February 1988 to January 2017. The study participants were children <15 years of age who had been hospitalized for playground equipment-related head injury. The following factors were investigated retrospectively: age; sex; fall height; material of the surface under the equipment; mechanism and diagnosis of the head injury; neurological signs at admission; and neurological outcome.
Results:
A total of 42 children (median age, 5 years; M/F: 26/16) were treated for head injuries, which involved a slide in 20 cases (47.6%), a swing in 11 (26.2%), a jungle gym in five (11.9%), monkey bars, iron bars, and a trampoline in one each, and unspecified equipment in six (14.3%). Falls ranged from a height of 1.2 to 2.5 m. Most of the falls occurred on hard soil or concrete. Head injuries depended on the age of the child, the injury mechanisms, and the characteristics of the equipment.
Conclusions:
The playground equipment-related head injuries found in the present study involved not only skull fractures and concussions, but also intracranial hemorrhage and surgical cases. Children routinely use playground equipment, so effective strategies to reduce the occurrence of playground equipment-related head injuries need to be formulated.
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