Injuries following accidental low height-falls sustained by children under 1 year of age - A systematic review.

BACKGROUND

Low-height falls are a recurrent cause of accidental trauma in young children. They also represent the most commonly reported history provided by perpetrators of abuse. The study of traumatic injuries resulting from low-height falls is essential to provide the forensic expert with the necessary data to better distinguish accidental falls from cases of inflicted violence. Previously published clinical studies are sometimes contradictory, and systematic reviews on this topic remain scarce.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the traumatic injuries resulting from accidental falls of less than 150 cm in children under 1 year of age, based on data from published clinical studies.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of the literature published on PubMed in accordance with PRISMA-P guidelines. The risk of bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI).

RESULTS

Seven studies met our eligibility criteria, encompassing a total of 2400 children under 1 year of age. Clinically significant injuries were reported in almost 10% of infants, approximately half of which were skull fractures. Outcomes were benign in the vast majority of cases, and no deaths were reported. The included studies were generally of low methodological quality. The reporting of results and the methods used to exclude potential cases of abuse were inconsistent.

CONCLUSION

Accidental low-height falls in children under 1 year of age are very rarely associated with severe traumatic injuries. Additional clinical studies with more robust methodologies are needed to confirm these findings.