Pediatric fall injuries in agricultural settings: a new look at a common injury control problem.

Abstract

Children on farms experience high risks for fall injuries. This study characterized the causes and consequences of fall injuries in this pediatric population. A retrospective case series was assembled from registries in Canada and the United States. A new matrix was used to classify each fall according to initiating mechanisms and injuries sustained on impact. Fall injuries accounted for 41% (484/1193) of the case series. Twenty percent of the fall injuries were into the path of a moving hazard (complex falls), and 91% of complex falls were related to farm production. Sixty-one percent of complex falls from heights occurred while children were not working. Fatalities and hospitalized injuries were overrepresented in the complex falls. Pediatric fall injuries were common. This analysis provides a novel look at this occupational injury control problem.