Preventing Unintentional Pediatric Window Falls: Epidemiology, Strategies, and Policy Implications

Falling from windows as a mechanism of traumatic injury has been a priority for public health interventions since the 1970s, yet window falls remain a cause of injury and death in children. The complexity of the issue requires a multilayered approach well represented by the socioecological model (SEM). This analysis of local window fall events, prevention efforts, and existing legislation promotes an opportunity to ensure child safety and family well-being in California and other communities by providing recommendations for cost-effective and trauma-informed policy to prevent unintentional pediatric window falls.
Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injury in U.S. children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2023). More than 1.3 million children younger than 18 visit an emergency [...]