The American Academy of Neurological Surgeons has just released an in depth article on the bio mechanics of falls in infants and toddlers. The article was published in the July 2010 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery and is entitled: Biomechanics of the toddler fall during low height falls.
The study states: “Of the estimated 1.5 million people treated for head injuries every year at U.S. hospital emergency rooms, nearly 380,000 are children ages 4 and younger. Blunt head trauma is commonly encountered by pediatric neurosurgeons and emergency physicians. In children ages 4 and younger, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the primary cause of fall-related death and severe injury. Although there is a large body of epidemiological work published on falls and injury outcomes, these studies have been greatly limited by a number of factors. “Clinical studies of children injured from falls suggest that fall height and impact surface contribute to injury severity, but there is a lack of agreement on critical fall height and impact conditions, which is why a study in a more controlled environment is crucial,” stated Dr. Margulies.”
You can read the full article online here.