Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT)
Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT)
Falls from open windows
With the arrival of better weather, windows are likely to be left open in the hope of catching a breeze – and reports are reaching CAPT of small children falling from upstairs windows, frequently needing specialist hospital care for significant head injuries.
Parents often see falls from windows as ‘freak’ accidents but the statistics belie that view. In fact, nationally, one child under five is admitted to hospital every day after falling from a building – often from open windows but also from balconies.
Why are pre-school children at particular risk?
Pre-school children are particularly susceptible to falls from a height:
- They are curious and want to see what’s happening outside but have no real understanding of danger.
- They can take parents by surprise by a sudden breakthrough in their development. You think they don’t climb but, before you know it, they can clamber up on furniture or haul their toy box across the floor and open a window. And accidents can happen very quickly, when your back is turned or you’re distracted for a minute.
- Small children are built differently to adults – their heads are proportionally much bigger than ours, so they have a different centre of gravity. This means that, if they lean out of a window, they may topple out. And when they land, their head takes much of the impact.
To learn more: Falls from open windows | Child Accident Prevention Trust