Open Windows Fatal to Many Kids

More than 5,000 children each year fall from an open window and are seriously injured or killed. And it's not just urban kids who are at risk.

"We have known for decades about the problem of children falling from windows," says Gary Smith, M.D., at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. "Despite the fact that we have known about it, we still have a problem."

Dr. Smith's team, in a report published in the the journal Pediatrics, examined 18 years of information collected from emergency departments at 100 hospitals around the U.S. The data were used to estimate that nearly 100,000 children across the U.S. were injured in falls from windows during that period.

Most falls not from high-rises

They also learned that the vast majority of injuries, 93 percent, occurred from first- and second-floor falls, probably because more children live in houses than in high-rise buildings.

Dr. Smith says that children under 5 years old are more than three times as likely to die from head injuries sustained in window falls as children ages 5 to 17. He says that boys are more likely than girls to fall from windows, possibly because they are more likely to be horsing around or showing off for friends.

Window guards are critical

Dr. Smith encourages parents of young children to install window guards in apartments.

Besides installing guards, Dr. Smith says that moving furniture away from windows is another good way to prevent window falls. He adds that children under 5 are "exploring" -- they want to see what's outside a window and aren't aware of the danger. He also recommends planting shrubs, flowers, and grass under windows, as more serious injuries occur when landing surfaces are hard.

"We know what works," says Dr. Smith.

Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.