TY - JOUR
T1 - Incidence and description of high chair-related injuries to children
AU - Powell, Elizabeth C.
AU - Jovtis, Edward
AU - Tanz, Robert R.
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Study Objective.-To describe the incidence, circumstances, and types of high chair-related injuries among US children. Design.-Retrospective review of data for children 3 years old and younger from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for 1994-98. Results.-There were an estimated 40650 high chair-related injuries (95% confidence interval [CI], 32657-48643) to children 3 years old and younger treated in hospital emergency departments in the US during the 5-year study period. An estimated 5231 injuries (13%) were related to use of an attachable high chair (including booster seats), and an estimated 4067 (10%) were related to the use of a youth chair. The annual rate of injury among children ≤3 years old was 5.3 per 10 000. The mean age was 10 months (median, 1 year); 56% were boys. Ninety-four percent of injuries resulted from a fall from the chair. Most injuries involved the head (44%) or face (39%). Injury diagnoses included contusions or abrasions (36%), lacerations (25%), closed head injury (21%), and fractures (8%). Two percent of injured children, an estimated 941 (95% CI, 399-148), were admitted to the hospital during the study period, an annual admission rate of 0.1 per 10 000. There were no significant differences between attachable high chairs, youth chairs, and high chairs in anatomic sites of injury, injury diagnosis, or frequency of hospital admission. Conclusions.-Injuries related to high chairs are common, particularly among children in the first year of life. They often result from falls from the chair. The data suggest that restraint use would prevent most of these injuries.
AB - Study Objective.-To describe the incidence, circumstances, and types of high chair-related injuries among US children. Design.-Retrospective review of data for children 3 years old and younger from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for 1994-98. Results.-There were an estimated 40650 high chair-related injuries (95% confidence interval [CI], 32657-48643) to children 3 years old and younger treated in hospital emergency departments in the US during the 5-year study period. An estimated 5231 injuries (13%) were related to use of an attachable high chair (including booster seats), and an estimated 4067 (10%) were related to the use of a youth chair. The annual rate of injury among children ≤3 years old was 5.3 per 10 000. The mean age was 10 months (median, 1 year); 56% were boys. Ninety-four percent of injuries resulted from a fall from the chair. Most injuries involved the head (44%) or face (39%). Injury diagnoses included contusions or abrasions (36%), lacerations (25%), closed head injury (21%), and fractures (8%). Two percent of injured children, an estimated 941 (95% CI, 399-148), were admitted to the hospital during the study period, an annual admission rate of 0.1 per 10 000. There were no significant differences between attachable high chairs, youth chairs, and high chairs in anatomic sites of injury, injury diagnosis, or frequency of hospital admission. Conclusions.-Injuries related to high chairs are common, particularly among children in the first year of life. They often result from falls from the chair. The data suggest that restraint use would prevent most of these injuries.
KW - Falls
KW - High chair
KW - Infant
KW - Injury
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U2 - 10.1367/1539-4409(2002)002<0276:IADOHC>2.0.CO;2
DO - 10.1367/1539-4409(2002)002<0276:IADOHC>2.0.CO;2
M3 - Article
C2 - 12135401
AN - SCOPUS:0036347952
SN - 1530-1567
VL - 2
SP - 276
EP - 278
JO - Ambulatory Pediatrics
JF - Ambulatory Pediatrics
IS - 4
ER -