Exploring trends in pediatric craniofacial furniture accidents: Implications for prevention, safety counseling, and future advocacy initiatives.

Abstract

Furniture and television-associated injuries are prevalent in homes and schools, especially among young children. Collisions, tip-overs, and falls off these structures are common mechanisms of injury that often involve the head and face, resulting in emergency room visits. This study aims to estimate the number of craniofacial injuries resulting from furniture accidents in the pediatric population and offer guidance to parents and/or guardians on child safety and prevention strategies to mitigate these risks. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) assessed furniture or television-related craniofacial injuries in children who presented to the emergency department (ED) from 2013 to 2022. Patients were included in this study if they were younger than 18 and evaluated for an isolated face, head, mouth, or neck injury. National estimates, demographics, diagnoses, location of the accident, and other clinical characteristics were analyzed. Linear regression was used to assess the incidence of injury over the 10-year period. From 2013 to 2022, 1696 entries accounted for an estimated 41,914 injuries presenting to a NEISS-participating ED nationwide for pediatric craniofacial-related furniture injuries. A significant decrease in annual cases was seen over the 10-year period (R² = 0.88, p < 0.001). The mean age of injury was 3.9 years, and most injuries were made up of toddlers aged 1-3 years old (53.3 %). Males were more frequently affected (55.8 %). The most common diagnoses were concussion/closed head injuries (48.5 %) and soft tissue injuries (24.6 %). Most children were treated and released (93.8 %), though some were hospitalized (3.03 %), and fatalities were rare (0.13 %). An estimated 21.0 % of craniofacial injuries were due to television tip-overs, and 43 % were accidents involving consumer storage units, such as furniture with drawers or hinged doors. Injuries were primarily at home (76.5 %) or at school (2.83 %). Pediatric craniofacial injuries from furniture and television tip-overs remain a concern despite recent declines, particularly affecting infants and toddlers under four years old. Continued efforts are needed to address safety risks associated with tip-overs in the home and school settings.