Injuries involving household furniture: spectrum and strategies for prevention.
We undertook a study to determine the incidence and spectrum of childhood injuries from accidents involving household furniture, using coffee tables as an example. Our review of data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission indicated approximately 250,000 furniture-related injuries in 1982 in the United States, 25 percent of them from coffee tables. Most of the injuries were lacerations of the head and face. In a review of injured children from our emergency department, we found that square or rectangular coffee tables with sharp edges were usually involved. A survey of pediatricians found that only 40 percent offered any advice to parents about hazardous types of household furniture. We conclude that furniture injuries are an important hazard for children and suggest strategies for prevention.
D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000379:methods; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007374:Interior Design and Furnishings; D008297:Male; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology*