Citation

Jiménez de Domingo A, Rubio García E, Marañón Pardillo R, Arias Constanti V, Frontado Haiek LA, Soriano Arola M, Ripoll Oliveras F, Remón García C, Estopiñá Ferrer G, Lorente Romero J. An. Pediatr. 2016; 86(6): 337-343.

Vernacular Title

Epidemiología y factores de riesgo de las lesiones por caídas en niños menores de un año.

Affiliation

Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, Madrid, España.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Asociacion Espanola de Pediatria, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.anpedi.2015.12.004

PMID

26869141

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of unintentional injuries due to falls in children under one year and to analyse the risk factors associated with severe injuries.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This multicentre, observational and cross-sectional study included all children less than one year treated for unintentional fall in the Emergency Departments of 8 Spanish Hospitals, belonging to the "Unintentional Paediatric Injury Workshop" of the Spanish Paediatric Emergency Society, between March 1st, 2014 and February 28th, 2015.

RESULTS: Out of 289,887 emergency department cases, 1,022 were due to unintentional falls. The median age was 8 months and 52.5% were males. Fall injuries were more frequent among children aged 9-12 months (37.6%), and 83.5% occurred at home. The most common mechanism was fall from nursery equipment (69.4%), and 47.8% occurred from a height under 50cm. More than two-thirds (68%) of falls were witnessed, but in half of the cases (329) the caregiver was not in area. Serious injuries were seen in 12% of cases. In this study, a fall height greater than 50cm, falls in the street, from the arms of the carer, and from the stairs were identified as independent risk factors for worse outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: The most serious injuries occur in children <3 months and from a height of >50cm, though not related to unwitnessed falls. Because the most common serious injury mechanism is the fall from the arms of the carer, from stairs, and falls in the street, these facts should be highlighted in order to avoid morbidity.

Language: es