About 5,000 children fall out of windows each year, and kids 4 years old and younger are most at risk.
Serious falls that cause injuries happen most often in big cities, in low-income neighborhoods and during the summer months. While many people think that high-rise buildings pose the greatest danger, the most common distance for a child to fall is one to three stories. A fall from just 10 feet can cause spinal damage, paralysis, and head or brain injury.
Following are tips to prevent your child from falling out of a window.
Keep windows closed and locked when children are present.
If you open a window to let air in, choose one that children can’t reach. Or if windows are double hung, open the top part.
Standard window screens do not keep children from falling. Therefore, you should install window stops or guards on all low-lying windows. Guards screw into the sides of the window and have bars no more than 4 inches apart. Window stops will prevent the window from opening wide enough for a child to fit through.
Keep chairs, cribs and furniture away from the windows to prevent children from climbing out.
Always supervise young children as they play near a window.
© 2013 American Academy of Pediatrics. This Parent Plus may be freely copied and distributed with proper attribution.
