Is My Child Safe? Stair Related Injuries A Big Concern
U.S. research shows that there is a child under 5 years old is treated with a stair-related injury every six minutes in the ER. Between the years 1999-2008 there have been more than 931,000 cases. Recently the rate did drop about 12% but there is still some concerns for this. Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at National Children’s Hospital in Columbus is the co-author of the study and he says there are ways to help educate parents about this and help prevent the injuries.
According to the report, 75% of the injuries were head and neck and 3% had to be hospitalized. Children around the age of being in preschool have a high center of gravity which when they fall down stair they fall face first resulting in head and neck injuries and they cannot catch themselves or break their fall easily.
Dr. Sonika Bhatnagar, University of Pittsburgh pediatrician and assistant professor recommends that parents keep children away from stair at all costs since most are not designed to prevent injury and to keep stairs free of any objects that could cause them to fall.
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