Study Finds Increase in Child Injuries Caused By Falling Furniture May 7, 2009
It’s common to hear people saying that television is bad for you, but a new study reveals that TVs are the most dangerous piece of furniture in your home in terms of child injuries.
The study coincides sadly with the child death of a Jacksonville, Florida 4-year-old who was killed yesterday when a television fell on her.
The study was conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio and found a 40 percent increase in child injuries caused by furniture falling on children since 1990. The study looked 12 different different kinds of furniture.
Children 6 and younger were found to be at the highest risk for injuries from falling furniture. The most common culprit: the family television.
Children 3 and under were found to be at the highest risk for the most serious injuries. They are more likely to sustain head and neck injuries than older children, who more often sustain lower body injuries from falling furniture.
Researchers report that 25 percent of the injuries were caused by children pulling or climbing on furniture.
Falling furniture causes an average of 14,000 emergency room visits each year for Americans under the age of 17. About 300 of those accidents are fatal.
The study’s senior author said his study probably underestimates the increase in child injuries from falling furniture because the study did not include data on injuries that did not result in hospital visits.
If you want to keep your child safe from this type of injury, taking a few simple steps can go a long way:
* Secure tippable furniture -- bolt it to the floor, strap it to the wall.
* Purchase furniture with wide legs, stable bases and a low center of gravity. Older televisions are very heavy and their wieght is disproportionately placed at the front. Place these front-heavy items on low stands at the back of piece of furniture they sit on.
* Never put anything on top of furnture. Children are naturally curious and will try to climb to get the object.
Some guidance exists for parents to find out if a piece of furniture is safe. ASTM-International has devised voluntary safety standards for furniture to reduce tipping. However, while many pieces of furniture on the market do not comply with the voluntary standard, even those that do comply with the standard have failed tip tests done by the Consumers’ Union.
Tougher standards are forthcoming. However, you should not rely on voluntary safety standards. Check the furniture yourself to see if it tips easily.
Here’s the corresponding video blog:
