The following is a summary of “Sofa and bed-related pediatric trauma injuries treated in United States emergency departments,” published in the June 2023 issue of Emergency Medicine by Solaiman et al.
Children under five have the most significant incidence of injuries caused by falls. Caretakers frequently leave young children on sofas and beds, even though collapsing and rolling off these furnishings can result in severe injuries. Researchers examined the epidemiologic characteristics and trends of bed and sofa-related injuries in children aged <5 years old who were treated at emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. They conducted a retrospective analysis of National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data from 2007 to 2021 using sample weights to estimate the national number and rate of bed- and sofa-related injuries.
They utilized descriptive statistics and regression analyses. In the United States, emergency departments (EDs) treated an estimated 3,414,007 children aged <5 years for bed and sofa-related injuries between 2007 and 2021, averaging 115.2 injuries per 10,000 persons annually. Most were closed head injuries (30%) and lacerations (24%). The most common injury sites were the skull (71%) and upper extremities (17%). Children <1 year old accounted for most injuries, with a 67% increase in incidence between 2007 and 2021 (P<0.001).
Most injuries were caused by falling, jumping, and sliding off beds and couches—the proportion of damages caused by leaping increased with age. About 4% of all injuries necessitated hospitalization. Children <1 year were 1.58 times more likely to be hospitalized following injury than children of all other ages (P<0.001). Beds and sofas risk injury to young children, particularly neonates. The rising incidence of bed and sofa-related injuries among infants <1 year demonstrates the need for increased prevention efforts, including parental education and enhanced safety design, to reduce these injuries.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0735675723001687
