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Head Injuries Among Children Treated in US Emergency Departments, 2015-2019
Rebecca J McAdams1,2, Adrianna I Acevedo-Fontánez2, Alice E Arcury-Quandt2
1Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
Insights
Young children, especially 1-year-olds, experience over a million nonfatal head injuries annually, primarily from home furnishings. These injuries, occurring daily in emergency departments, highlight the urgent need for better prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Consumer Product Safety
Background:
- Nonfatal head injuries represent a significant public health concern among young children.
- Understanding the epidemiology and common causes of these injuries is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the epidemiology of nonfatal head injuries in children aged 1 to 4 years.
- To identify specific consumer products associated with these pediatric head injuries.
Main Methods:
- Data were extracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) for children aged 1 to 4 years presenting to US emergency departments between 2015 and 2019.
- Epidemiological trends, injury rates, and common injury scenarios were analyzed.
Main Results:
- An estimated 1,032,429 children aged 1 to 4 years presented to US emergency departments for head injuries from 2015 to 2019, averaging 566 daily.
- The incidence of head injuries remained stable over the study period but was highest in 1-year-olds.
- The majority of injuries occurred at home (80.4%), with home furnishings being the most frequent cause (45.1%).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric head injuries associated with consumer products are a substantial issue, particularly for the youngest children.
- Home environments and furnishings are key areas for intervention to mitigate head injury risks.
- Enhanced head injury prevention efforts are critically needed for young children.
Abstract:
This study evaluates the epidemiology of nonfatal head injuries among children aged 1 to 4 years associated with consumer products and identifies the specific consumer products associated with these injuries. Data for children aged 1 to 4 years who presented to emergency departments (EDs) from 2015 to 2019 for a nonfatal head injury were extracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. An estimated 1 032 429 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 675 822-1 389 063) children presented to US EDs for head injuries, averaging 566 injuries daily. The average rate of head injury did not change over the 5-year study period (slope = -0.003; P = .852); it was highest among children aged 1 year (2.06 per 100 children aged 1 year), which was nearly 3 times that of children aged 4 years (rate ratio = 2.75; 95% CI: 2.73-2.77). Most injuries occurred at home (80.4%) and occurred from interacting with home furnishings (45.1%). This study underscores the need for increased head injury mitigation efforts among young children.
