HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Khambalia, A Articles by Macarthur, C Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Khambalia, A Articles by Macarthur, C

Risk factors for unintentional injuries due to falls in children aged 0–6 years: a systematic review

¹ Division of Paediatric Medicine and the Paediatric Outcomes Research Team, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
² British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
³ Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
⁴ Child Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
⁵ Department of Paediatrics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Correspondence to:
C Macarthur
Bloorview Kids Rehab, 150 Kilgour Road Toronto, ON, Canada M4G 1R8; cmacarthur{at}bloorview.ca

Objective: To identify risk factors for unintentional injuries due to falls in children aged 0–6 years.

Design: A systematic review of the literature.

Methods: Electronic databases from 1966 to March 2005 were comprehensively searched to identify empirical research that evaluated risk factors for unintentional injuries due to falls in children aged 0–6 years and included a comparison group.

Results: 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies varied by the type of fall injury that was considered (ie, bunk bed, stairway, playground or infant walker) and with respect to the quality of evidence. In general, major risk factors for the incidence or severity of injuries due to falls in children included age of the child, sex, height of the fall, type of surface, mechanism (dropped, stairway or using a walker), setting (day care v home care) and socioeconomic status.

Conclusion: Despite a high burden, few controlled studies have examined the risk and protective factors for injuries due to falls in children aged 0–6 years. The only study to examine falls from a population health perspective suggests that age, sex and poverty are independent risk factors for injuries due to falls in children.