Falls

Falls are the third leading cause of child injury deaths in the European region for children aged 0-19. Where hospitalisation and emergency department data are available, we see that falls for children are the leading cause of admissions and emergency visits. Younger children are at greatest risk of falling because their urge to explore their surroundings, usually does not match their capacity to assess or react to risk. Adolescents are also at greater risk as they often undertake more challenging or risky actions, which can involve not only more demanding physical movement but also more dangerous settings.
For more facts on falls, see our factsheets below.
- Factsheet: Childhood falls (PDF 578kb)
- Tipsheet: Keeping children safe at home (PDF 575kb)
Current EU national level policy on falls
Further charts are available in the Child Safety Report Card 2012: Europe Summary for 31 Countries (PDF 9mb).


Good practices for prevention: proven effective prevention measures
This chart is taken from the Child Safety Good Practice Guide.

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