Epidemiology of Exercise Equipment-related Injuries to Young Children

Abstract

The objective of this study was to describe and identify the type, cause, and epidemiology of injuries related to exercise equipment to children younger than 5 years reported to US emergency rooms. A retrospective review of data for children 4 years old and younger from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for the years 1994 to 2001 was conducted. A total of 1679 children were identified obtaining treatment at a participating emergency room. There were an estimated 46,440 exercise equipment-related injuries (95% confidence interval, 38,081-55,079 injuries) to children 4 years old and younger treated in hospital emergency departments in the United States during the 8-year study period. The annual rate of injury among children was 28.32 per 100,000. Most injuries involved the head, foot, and hand regions. Injury diagnosis included lacerations (49%), soft tissue injuries (29%), and fractures and dislocations (9%). Most hospital admissions were for amputations (36%), fractures (34%), and lacerations (20%). Injuries can result from children's exposure to exercise equipment in the home. Parental awareness of the dangers of home-based exercise equipment and the potential hazards of exercise equipment-related injuries on the limbs and head region is recommended.