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Published on: September 21, 2017
Pediatric lawn mower-related injuries and contributing factors for bystander injuries
Charles A Jennissen1,2, Treyton D Krupp3, J Priyanka Vakkalanka4
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA. charles-jennissen@uiowa.edu.
Insights
Riding lawn mower injuries are a leading cause of limb loss in children. Many child bystanders, often younger, are injured by mowers backing up, with nearly all suffering permanent disabilities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric trauma
- Injury prevention
- Mechanical safety
Background:
- Riding lawn mower injuries are a significant cause of major limb loss in young children in the U.S.
- Understanding the circumstances and risk factors is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the circumstances surrounding pediatric riding lawn mower injuries.
- To identify contributing risk factors and behaviors associated with these incidents.
Main Methods:
- An electronic survey was distributed to members of lawn mower injury support and prevention Facebook groups.
- Data from 140 injured children were analyzed, excluding push mower incidents and duplicates.
- Frequencies and chi-square analyses were performed to identify patterns and risk factors.
Main Results:
- The majority of injured children were Caucasian (94%), male (64%), and under 5 years old (63%).
- Bystanders constituted 69% of injuries, with 59% occurring while the mower was in reverse.
- Nearly all injured children (92%) sustained an amputation and/or permanent disability, with higher rates among bystanders.
Conclusions:
- Prior rides on lawn mowers may desensitize children to dangers, encouraging them to seek rides.
- Engineering solutions to prevent blade rotation when reversing and prohibiting child rides are critical.
- Preventing lawn mower injuries requires addressing both operator behavior and mower design.
Background:
Riding lawn mower injuries are the most common cause of major limb loss in young U.S. children. Our study objective was to investigate the circumstances surrounding pediatric riding lawn mower injuries and to identify potential contributing risk factors and behaviors leading to these events.
Methods:
Followers/members of both a public and a private lawn mower injury support and prevention Facebook page who had or were aware of children who had suffered a lawn mower-related injury were invited to complete an electronic survey on Qualtrics. Duplicate cases and those involving push mowers were removed. Frequencies and chi-square analyses were performed.
Results:
140 injured children were identified with 71% of surveys completed by parents and 19% by an adult survivor of a childhood incident. The majority of injured children were Caucasian (94%), male (64%), and ≤ 5 years of age at the time of the incident (63%). Bystanders were 69% of those injured, 24% were lawn mower riders, and mower operators and others accounted for 7%. The lawn mower operator was usually male (77%), being the father/stepfather in almost half. Overall, 59% of injuries occurred while traveling in reverse, 29% while moving forward. Nearly all (92%) had an amputation and/or permanent disability. Subgroup analysis (n = 130) found injured bystanders were younger than injured passengers with 71% versus 45% being < 5 years of age, respectively (p = 0.01). Over three-quarters of bystander incidents occurred while moving in reverse as compared to 17% of passenger incidents (p < 0.01). Amputations and/or permanent disabilities were greater among bystanders (97%) as compared to passengers (79%, p = 0.01). Only 3% of bystanders had an upper extremity injury as compared to 21% of passengers (p = 0.01). Seventy-three percent of bystander victims had received at least one ride on a lawn mower prior to their injury incident.
Conclusions:
Child bystanders seriously injured by riding lawn mowers were frequently given prior rides likely desensitizing them to their inherent dangers and leading them to seek rides when mowers were being used. Engineering changes preventing blade rotation when traveling in reverse and not giving children rides (both when and when not mowing) may be critical in preventing mower-related injuries.
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