Each year, about 15,000 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms by injuries related to falling furniture.
Since 1990 the number of injured by the falls of televisions, shelves and dressers has increased by 41% and about 300 children have since died from these causes.
These data come from a study by the Commission for the Safety of Consumer Products of the United States. The researchers are not sure of the reason for this increase and are considering possible design changes in furniture and televisions, that there is more furniture at home or that parents take their children to the hospital more easily than other years. "What we do know is that there is a tendency that we must pay attention to", says Dr. Gary A. Smith, lead author of the study. "Forty children a day are taken to emergencies because a heavy piece of furniture has fallen on them".
75% of the injuries took place in children between 0 and 6 years old, being somewhat higher (56%) the number of boys than girls. The most common injury occurred in the head and neck and the most common cause was the fall of a television.
"This trend demonstrates the inadequacy of current prevention strategies and underlines the need for greater prevention efforts"Smith warned.
Today's televisions are less heavy, being flat, but instead they have a much smaller support surface than tube and the risk of falling is greater.
To reduce risks both televisions and furniture should be fixed to the wall with safety straps (current televisions can be hung on the wall and some have as an option a wall anchoring system to avoid tipping over).
It is better that the furniture have wide legs or that are of solid base and place the heavy objects in the lower drawers to prevent the furniture from overturning when opening them.
It is also not recommended to leave objects that attract the attention of children, such as toys, controls or mobiles on furniture or television, as young children will try to climb to catch them.
According to Smith, the long-term solution will be to pass a law that forces television and furniture manufacturers to include security fixers.
