Don't overlook windows as potential dangers

Each year approximately 100 children are treated in the Emergency Department/Trauma Center at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin after falling from an open window. When parents open a window for ventilation, they need to be aware of how dangerous open windows – even screened windows – can be to young children.

Accidental falls tend to cluster in the spring and summer months, when windows are open in homes and children might be tempted to escape the heat by playing outdoors on roofs, balconies or fire escapes. Although falls can occur in any home, children living in urban neighborhoods with multiple-story housing are at greatest risk. Two age groups seem to be affected the most – toddlers/preschoolers, who typically fall through open windows, and risk-taking adolescent boys who fall from roofs.

In order to reduce the risk of injury to your child, the American Academy of Pediatrics makes the follow recommendations:

• The most important way to protect children is to provide proper adult supervision at all times. Keep a close eye on younger kids, and teach older children and adolescents that balconies and roofs are strictly off limits.
• Install protective window guards on any window above the first floor. Before you buy any window guards, be careful to choose the right tool for the job. Security bars are not an appropriate choice. They are designed to keep intruders out of the home, and can impede escape or rescue attempts during a fire. Look for operable window guards that can be released quickly and easily by adults and teenagers but not younger children.
• Open double-hung windows from the top instead of the bottom and install locks on sliding windows to prevent them from opening wider than 4 inches.
• Avoid placing furniture near windows – even a baby can roll off a changing table and out a window.
• Do not rely on window screens to protect your child. Most are not designed to withstand the weight of a child.
• Make sure railings on balconies, decks and porches are at least 36 inches tall and the rails are no wider than 4 inches apart. Almost all children younger than 6 can easily fall through an opening of 6 inches.
• Plant grass or shrubs around multiple story buildings to soften the impact area, should a fall occur.