Incidence and description of scooter-related injuries among children.

OBJECTIVE

To describe trends in scooter-related injuries among US youth and compare scooter injuries to those related to in-line skates and skateboards.

DESIGN

Retrospective review of data for children 1-19 years old from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission for 1997-2002.

RESULTS

There were an estimated 190,878 scooter-related injuries (95% confidence interval: 145,984-235,773) among children treated in US emergency departments; 90% were in those 15 years old or younger. There was a marked increase in scooter-related injuries in 2000, injuries peaked in 2001, and declined. In 2002, the number of scooter-related injuries was similar to in-line skates and lower than skateboard-related injuries. Scooter- and in-line skate-associated injuries primarily involved children 5-12 years old: rates of scooter-related injuries were higher than rates of in-line skate-associated injuries among those 1-9 years old. Skateboard-related injuries more often involved teens. Forearm fractures accounted for 56% of fractures related to scooters (vs 74% in-line skates and 49% skateboards, chi-square, P < .01). Five percent of children injured using scooters had a closed head injury or skull fracture, similar to in-line skates and skateboards.

CONCLUSIONS

The annual number of injuries related to scooters, which peaked in 2001, is now similar to the number of injuries related to in-line skates. Injuries related to scooters primarily involve children 5-12 years old, and forearm fractures are common. These data suggest helmets should be used, and protective equipment should be developed to reduce forearm fractures.