INJURY PREVENTION

Prevent your child from falling out of a window

Falls are the leading cause of non-fatal injuries for all children ages 0 to 19. Every day, about 8,000 children are treated in U.S. emergency departments for fall-related injuries. This adds up to almost 2.8 million children each year. And every year in the U.S, about 12 under the age of 10 die.

Children living in apartment buildings fall from windows at five times the rate of children living in other types of homes. The height of the fall, force of impact and surface on which the child falls affect the severity of the injury. 
We all want to keep our children safe and help them live a great life. Knowing how to prevent a leading cause of child injury, like falls, is a step toward this goal.

“Window falls are a major cause of injuries and death in children, especially those living in urban areas,” says Adella Garland, MD, Trauma Program Director. 

Key Prevention Tips

You can protect your child from window falls by following these tips:

• Never put a baby’s crib or a bed next to a window. 
• Never depend on window screens, they will not keep your child from falling.
• Use window guards or gates - bars that are installed on the bottom part of a window to keep a child from falling out when the window is open.
• Use window stops or wedges - control devices that prevent a window from opening more than 4 inches.
• Keep furniture away from windows and balconies, so that your children cannot climb on them to reach windows.
• It is important to always watch and keep an eye on your child. Turning your head for just a second is enough time for your child to fall and get injured. 
   

Remember that even falls from one story windows can cause injuries.

What to do if there is a fall

If your child does have a fall and is not acting normal, seek medical care and call your child’s medical provider right away.

Go to https://www.cdc.gov/safechild/falls/index.html for more information.