Infants
Infants are especially vulnerable to falls. Additional adult supervision is critical when infants are learning to walk, in the bathtub, or positioned on high furniture or a changing table. Paying extra attention to uneven or slippery surfaces and product information may prevent severe injury or death from falls.When the infant is learning to walk, sharp edges or rolled carpeting may quickly become an obstacle. Slippery surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom should be avoided, especially if there are hard surfaces in the area that the child can hit his or her head on if they fall. When placing an infant on high furniture or a changing table, use the assistance of guard rails or safety guards to prevent the child from falling. Infants quickly change positions and can roll or wiggle off of furniture.
If not used correctly, highchairs, baby walkers and cribs increase the risk of a fall. Nine percent of fall-related injuries associated with products (e.g., baby walkers, highchairs, etc.) result in hospitalization, more than two times the hospitalization rate of all other product-related injuries. Almost 7,000 children were sent to the emergency room in one year due to falls from highchairs alone.
In 1997, injuries from baby walkers resulted in 16,000 children being treated in the emergency room. Eighty percent of these injuries occurred when children fell down stairs or the baby walker tipped over. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org) , baby walkers are not recommended. Baby walkers allow children to reach items on tables that they would not be able to reach without the walker. All baby walkers manufactured after June 30, 1997, must meet the voluntary and mandatory ASTM standards, which require that baby walkers either be too wide to fit through a standard doorway or have features that stop the walker at the edge of a step. Stationary walkers are recommended for children as a safer alternative.
Falls also occur when infants climb out of their crib. To avoid this, rail slats should be 2 3/8 inches apart so that children can not slip out or strangulate themselves. Toys should not be placed in the crib because children can climb on top of the toys and fall out.