title: Baby gate-related injuries among children in the United States, 1990-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Baby gates are one of the most widely used home safety products to protect children from home hazards. The objective was to describe the epidemiology of baby gate and barrier-associated injuries among children. It was hypothesized that injuries experienced by children ages ≤2 years and those >2 years were significantly different as a result of differences in gate interactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was conducted by using nationally representative data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. A total of 1188 actual cases were reviewed and national estimates generated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An estimated 37,673 children were treated in emergency departments for injuries associated with gates, yielding an average of 1794 cases annually. The incidence of gate-related injuries increased significantly from 3.9 per 100,000 children in 1990 to 12.5 per 100,000 children in 2010 (P < .001). Patients were primarily boys (61.0%) and were <2 years of age (60.4%). Patients <2 years of age were most often injured by falls down stairs (odds ratio 6.72; 95% confidence interval 6.32-7.16) after the collapse of the gate. Patients aged 2 to 6 were most often injured by contact with the gate (odds ratio 2.03; 95% confidence interval 1.95-2.12), resulting in open wounds (55.4%) and soft-tissue injuries (24.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the clear dichotomy between injury characteristics of patients aged <2 years and patients aged 2 to 6 years of age, as well as the prevalence of preventable injuries, greater efforts are needed to promote proper usage, ensure safety in product design, and increase awareness of age-related recommendations for use of gates.
authors: Center for Injury Research and Policy, the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
authors: Yao-Wen
authors: YW
authors: Cheng
authors: Center for Injury Research and Policy, the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
authors: Erica N
authors: EN
authors: Fletcher
authors: Center for Injury Research and Policy, the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
authors: Kristin J
authors: KJ
authors: Roberts
authors: Center for Injury Research and Policy, the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio; Division of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University, College of Public Health, Columbus, Ohio. Electronic address: Lara.McKenzie@NationwideChildrens.org.
authors: Lara B
authors: LB
authors: McKenzie
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015370:Infant Equipment / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology
keywords: National Electronic Injury Surveillance System; baby barriers; baby gates; emergency department; falls; injury; stair gates