Unpowered Scooter Injury in Children at a Korea Level I Trauma Center

Min Ae Keum,Min Jeng Cho

doi:10.3389/fped.2021.561654

Min Ae Keum, Min Jeng Cho

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2021.561654

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Abstract

Purpose: Unpowered scooters for recreation and transportation are popular among children. However, to date, there have been no studies on scooter-related injuries in Korea. This study aimed to assess the frequency and injury pattern with unpowered scooters and to propose prevention strategies.Methods: Medical records of children aged <16 years with unpowered scooter-related injuries who visited the emergency department (ED) from 2007 to 2018 were retrospectively reviewed.Results: A total of 109 children were included. The majority (78.9%) of injuries occurred during the last 3 years of the study. The mean age was 5.2 years, and 88% of children were <8 years of age. Most injuries (80.7%) occurred from a fall off a scooter. A total of 65.1% (n = 71) of injuries were to the head and face, followed by upper limb, lower limb, and torso injuries. Eight patients had an intracranial injury and skull fracture. Twenty children had limb fractures, and the most common site of fracture was the elbow. None of the patients wore any protective gear.Conclusions: Unpowered scooter-related injuries are on the increase and represent a serious problem among younger children. The head and face, where serious injuries can occur, are the most vulnerable. Public and parental awareness and education regarding protective gear and safety guidelines are essential to prevent injuries.

Highlights

Unpowered scooters are a popular form of childhood recreation and have become one of the main choices for transportation because they are light, portable, and easy to handle
In 2001, 16 deaths were reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) in the United States, 11 of which were in children [7]
109 children were treated due to unpowered scooterrelated injuries during the 12-year study period

Summary

Introduction

Unpowered scooters are a popular form of childhood recreation and have become one of the main choices for transportation because they are light, portable, and easy to handle. The enormous increase in scooter popularity has led to an increase in the number of reported scooter-related injuries [1,2,3,4,5,6]. In 2001, 16 deaths were reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) in the United States, 11 of which were in children [7]. The CPSC reviewed the alarming injury data and recommended that children under the age of 8 years should not ride scooters without close adult supervision; children should not ride scooters on streets, near traffic, or in the dark; and children should wear helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads while riding a scooter [7, 8]. The number of scooter-related injuries remains high [11, 12]

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