Observational study of falls in children from windows and balconies: What has changed?

Houlton, Adelene; Manglick, Patricia; Soundappan, Soundappan S.V.; Douglass, Candace; Wicks, Stephanie; Holland, A.J.A.; Cass, Danny

doi:10.1111/jpc.15240

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The findings of this review regarding the type and severity of injuries caused by falls from windows are in line with literature. Similar to past studies, here we also observed that falls from windows led to major trauma and identified skull fractures, lacerations, abrasions and contusions as the most common injuries [ 11 ]. Furthermore, we also recorded patients that had sustained injuries leading to intracranial bleeding but exhibited high GCS scores at presentation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Secure windows for child safety: a retrospective study of window falls in children, aiming to raise prevention awareness

et al. 2023

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Purpose The aim of the study is to enhance understanding, raise awareness and inform prevention programmes regarding potential factors that lead to severe paediatric injuries caused by unintentional falls from windows. Methods This is a retrospective review from a major Trauma Centre, covering the majority of North West England and North Wales and included children under the age of 16 that had sustained falls from windows and were hospitalised between April 2015 and June 2020. Results Overall, 825 patients’ records have been reviewed, 39% of which exhibited neurosurgical injuries (322 admissions). The most common cause of injury was falls (42%), out of which 19% was identified as falls from windows which was eventually the core focus of this review (25 patients). The records showed that 72% of the falls were not witnessed by another individual, suggesting that children were being left unattended. Average GCS recorded at presentation was 11.2 and 56% of cases were identified as severe major traumas. With a mean stay of 2.2 days in ICU, 1.6 days in HDU and 6 days in the neurosurgical clinic, average treatment costs per patient were £4,493, £651 and £4,156 respectively. Finally, 52% of patients were identified to require long-term physiotherapy/occupational therapy due to permanent disabilities, 20% long-term antiepileptic treatment for seizures and 44% long-term psychological services input. Conclusion This study presents our experience at a major tertiary trauma centre in the UK over a 5-year period, from a paediatric neurosurgical injuries perspective due to fall from windows. We aim to raise awareness and highlight the importance of establishing prevention programmes which would hopefully decrease the incidence of paediatric window falls.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Secure windows for child safety: a retrospective study of window falls in children, aiming to raise prevention awareness

et al. 2023

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“…In Singapore, the Tanjong Pagar Community Development Council started a scheme in 2000 called “ Prevent the Fall ” which paid and installed window grilles in the homes of low-income families (Au Yong, 2000). Despite these campaigns, children falling from windows and balconies remain a problem in both Sydney (Houlton et al , 2020) and Singapore. To prevent falls, the Building Code of Australia for new buildings was amended in June 2013 to restrict the opening of windows to a maximum of 12.5 cm where the floor below the window is more than 2 m above the surface beneath (Houlton et al , 2020).…”

Section: Children Falling From Windows and Balconies: The Fixing Of S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite these campaigns, children falling from windows and balconies remain a problem in both Sydney (Houlton et al , 2020) and Singapore. To prevent falls, the Building Code of Australia for new buildings was amended in June 2013 to restrict the opening of windows to a maximum of 12.5 cm where the floor below the window is more than 2 m above the surface beneath (Houlton et al , 2020). There are also requirements in relation to the height and openings in balustrades at balconies (Yusuf et al , 2015).…”

Section: Children Falling From Windows and Balconies: The Fixing Of S...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Conceptualizing condominium law and children: comparing the state of strata titles law in New South Wales and Singapore

Tang

2023

JPPEL

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Purpose This paper aims to adopt a comparative method using case law, statutes and secondary literature across both jurisdictions. This paper also draws on various theories of property ownership. Design/methodology/approach This paper conceptualises the legal relations embedded within condominium housing and the various theories of property ownership to ascertain how children’s interest fit within this framework. The laws of two jurisdictions, New South Wales and Singapore, are examined to determine how their strata law responds when children’s safety is at stake. Findings Drawing on pluralist moral theories of property law, the thesis advanced is that children’s issues within condominiums should not be subject to majoritarian rule especially when their safety is at stake. The paramount guiding value should be ensuring their safety within multi-owned housing communities. Using the law of two jurisdictions, New South Wales and Singapore, the central argument of this paper is that the law in these jurisdictions has rightfully adopted a protective approach towards children in multi-owned properties where their safety is at stake. Originality/value The literature on the law of multi-owned housing has largely focused on governance issues such as mediating between the majority owners’ interest with that of the minority owners’ interest. Children in multi-owned developments remain an under investigated area as children’s interests do not fit within the paradigm of majority versus minority interests. The paper advances the argument that children’s interest should be viewed through either a rights-based theory or pluralists’ theories of property law. Lessons from the New South Wales and Singapore experience are also drawn which might prove useful to other jurisdictions.

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“…[1] Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of injury-related deaths, followed by falls, both in developed countries and developing countries. [2][3][4][5] After injury, injured cells/ tissues release an alarmin (damage-associated molecular patterns, DAMPs), causing a local pro-inflammatory reaction. The local production of alarmins could lead to systemic inflammation, [6,7] resulting in many bimolecular changes after injury, including white blood cell (WBC), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), fibrinogen (FIB), C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Early changes in white blood cell, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels in children with severe multiple trauma

Xu¹,

Huo²,

Huang³

et al. 2022

World Journal of Emergency Medicine

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BACKGROUND:To analyze early changes in white blood cells (WBCs), C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) in children with multiple trauma, before secondary inflammation develops. METHODS:This single-center retrospective study collected data from patients with blunt traumatic injury admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). According to the prognostic outcome of 28 day after admission to the PICU, patients were divided into survival group (n=141) and non-survival group (n=36). RESULTS:The percentages of children with increasing WBC, CRP, and PCT levels were 81.36%, 31.07%, and 95.48%, respectively. Patients in the non-survival group presented a statistically significantly higher injury severity score (ISS) than patients in the survival group: 37.17±16.11 vs. 22.23±11.24 (t=6.47, P<0.01). WBCs were also higher in non-survival group than in the survival group ([18.70±8.42]×10 9 /L vs. [15.89±6.98] ×10 9 /L, t=2.065, P=0.040). There was no statistically significant difference between the survival and non-survival groups in PCT or CRP. The areas under the ROC curves of PCT, WBC and ISS for predicting 28-day mortality were 0.548 (P=0.376), 0.607 (P=0.047) and 0.799 (P<0.01), respectively.CONCLUSIONS: As a result of multiple trauma, PCT levels increased in more patients, even if their WBC and CRP levels remained unchanged. However, early rising WBC and ISS were better than PCT at predicting the mortality of multiple trauma patients in the PICU.

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Observational study of falls in children from windows and balconies: What has changed?

Cited by 4 publications

References 15 publications

Secure windows for child safety: a retrospective study of window falls in children, aiming to raise prevention awareness

Secure windows for child safety: a retrospective study of window falls in children, aiming to raise prevention awareness

Conceptualizing condominium law and children: comparing the state of strata titles law in New South Wales and Singapore

Early changes in white blood cell, C-reactive protein and procalcitonin levels in children with severe multiple trauma

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