Citation

Le TM, Wellons JC. J. Neurosurg. Pediatr. 2015; 17(1): 1-2.

Affiliation

Department of Neurosurgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, American Association of Neurological Surgeons)

DOI

10.3171/2015.2.PEDS1582

PMID

26415582

Abstract

In this modern society, it is hard to believe that car seats, seat belts, and airbags were once nonexistent. However, other safety initiatives such as motorcycle helmets have still not become law across all states. (Currently in our home state of Tennessee, there is a bill approaching the legislative table that would make them optional.) As with many safety devices and public health initiatives, injuries have led to litigation, which then led to legislation. Not every time, but often enough. Those of us involved in managing child brain and spine injuries have no doubt seen a rise in TV-toppling injuries. It has spurred many of us to wonder if there was some way to effect change, through better base design, material engineering, and/or education. In their accompanying article, Cusimano and Parker are to be commended for bringing these publications together for the common good and using public health methodology to suggest a path forward.

The number of TVs in US households is continually increasing, with an estimated 115.6 million TV-containing households, representing 96.7% of all US households. Likewise, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that TV-toppling injuries have been increasing in frequency since 2006. Serious TV-toppling injuries are most commonly seen in preschool-age children, and an estimated 44% of these injuries are related to the head. Given the vulnerability of this population as well as the potential for serious harm, TV-toppling injuries represent a growing public health concern in the area of preventable injuries.

In their article on head injuries related to TV sets, Cusimano and Parker report findings from a systematic review of the existing literature on TV-toppling injuries. Their findings demonstrate that injuries related to TVs occur frequently and that toddlers represent the population segment most at risk for serious injury. In addition, they report that the vast majority of these injuries occur during an unwitnessed event within the home and are due to improper placement of the TV, climbing, or collisions with the TV. As part of their report, the authors analyze their findings using Haddon’s Matrix to identify strategies that can modify host and environmental factors to decrease the rate of TV-toppling injuries.

Language: en