Pediatric Falls Ages 0-4: Understanding Demographics, Mechanisms, and Injury Severities

Purpose: In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed pediatric unintentional falls as the lead cause of non-fatal injury for children ages 0-4 years. Likewise, in Georgia, the highest burden of hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits for pediatric falls are seen among children < 5 years. This study identified population characteristics, mechanisms of injury (MOI), and injury severities from falls among children < 5 years. Methods: Trauma registry data from our lead pediatric tertiary center (Level I and II trauma centers) were analyzed for all patients < 5 years with an ICD-9/ICD-10 E-code diagnosis …