Pediatric Injuries Associated With High Chairs and Chairs in the United States, 2003-2010

Abstract

This study describes the epidemiology of injuries among children ≤3 years old associated with high chairs compared with chairs by retrospectively analyzing data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 2003 to 2010. An estimated 402 479 (95% confidence interval = 335 116-469 842) injuries associated with high chairs and chairs were treated in United States emergency departments, with an average of 9421 high chair–related injuries and 40 889 chair-related injuries annually. The number of high chair–related injuries significantly increased by 22.4% from 8926 injuries in 2003 to 10 930 injuries in 2010. Falling was the most common injury mechanism associated with high chairs (92.8%) and chairs (87.3%). Closed head injury was the most common diagnosis associated with high chairs (37.3%), and increased in number ( P = .005) and rate ( P = .006) from 2003 to 2010. Child caregivers should properly engage high chair safety restraint systems and encourage appropriate behaviors by young children when using chairs.