Falls Among Infants and Children

Falls among children and adolescents account for more than three million emergency department visits each year in the United States, and more than 40% occur among infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.  Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children throughout the world.  Accounting for 6% of childhood deaths due to trauma, falls represent the third leading cause of injury-related death in children.  Deaths from falls are generally due to brain injury.

For children less than 5 years of age, falls are the number one cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI), accounting for more than 50% of all brain injuries among this age group. Infants less than one year have the highest rate of TBI-related emergency department visits of any age group. The severity of brain injury is determined by the distance of the fall and the type of landing surface (i.e., concrete, carpet, sand, etc.).

Because falls are associated with a child’s curiosity and development of motor skills, children under age 10 are at the greatest risk for fall-related brain injury and death. During a fall, a child’s brain is especially at risk because the neck muscles may not yet be strong enough to keep the head secure during a fall.  When children sustain a TBI early in life, they may be left with lifelong challenges and disabilities.

At-Risk Populations

• Infants often fall off of changing tables, beds, or sofas, or once they begin to walk, are at an increased risk of falling down stairs
• Toddlers have a high risk of falling from windows, off furniture, and on playgrounds
• Young children tend to fall from trees, playgrounds, windows, and balconies
• In all age groups, boys experience more than twice the amount of fall-related injuries than girls