The death rate from falls among children ages 14 and under declined by 36 percent from 1987 to 1996. However, falls remain the leading cause of unintentional injury for children. Children ages 14 and under account for one-third of all fall-related visits to hospital emergency rooms. More than half of all nonfatal injuries to children are associated with falls, and falls are the leading cause of nursery product-related injuries among children ages 5 and under. The majority of falls occur from furniture, stairs, baby walkers, playground equipment, windows and shopping carts.

The severity of a fall-related injury is determined by the distance of the fall and the landing surface. Head injuries are associated with the majority of deaths and severe injuries resulting from falls. Because falls are associated with a child's curiosity and development of motor skills, children ages 10 and under are at the greatest risk of fall-related death and injury.

PREVENTION TIPS

• Never use baby walkers on wheels. Use stationary activity centers or walker alternatives.

• Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs if there are infants or toddlers in the home.

• Move chairs and furniture away from windows. Consider installing window guards on windows located on the ground floor and up, unless designated as emergency fire exits.

• Avoid asphalt, concrete, grass and soil surfaces under playground equipment. Acceptable loose-fill materials include hardwood fiber mulch or chips, pea gravel, fine sand and shredded rubber. Surfacing should be maintained at a depth of 12 inches and should extend a minimum of 6 feet in all directions around stationary equipment. Rubber mats, synthetic turf and other artificial materials also are safe surfaces and require less maintenance.