ATLANTA — A new report outlines the things that commonly lead to brain injuries in our children, and oftentimes it's related to consumer products.
The study, from the Brain Injury Journal, looks at non-fatal traumatic brain juries among children 19 years old and younger.
While they overwhelmingly come from accidents, there are still things you can do to stop some of these injuries from happening.
The study says a traumatic brain injury is a disruption in the normal functions of the brain due to a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury.
Researchers studied more than 4 million non-fatal traumatic brain injuries from 2010 to 2013. Most were unintentional, with children treated and released from emergency rooms. They said nearly three-fourths, or 72.2 percent, are associated with a consumer product.
Home fixtures and furniture, mostly beds were commonly associated with the injuries among infants and children up to age 4. The report found the children fell after being placed on beds of other furniture, with bunk beds being especially risky.
For infants less than 1 years old, car seats can also pose a risk when used as carriers outside the car and improperly handled. For example, a car seat falling off a table or other high surface.
As for older children, sports and recreation, especially bicycles and football, caused the most injuries among those five to 19 years old.
Children ages 5 to 9 suffered traumatic brain injuries often from bike crashes, while the injuries in children ages 10 to 19 came mostly from contact sports like football and basketball.
Traumatic brain injuries from floors and stairs are common among children of all ages.
Researchers said parents should pay attention to the environments their children are in and consider any changes that can be made for safety.
They suggest removing tripping hazards like area rugs, improving lighting and avoiding playgrounds with hard surfaces.
In-home safety equipment like stair gates, guardrails on beds and handrails for stairs can also prevent accidents.
Safety education and increased supervision that can help as well.
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