Health officials issue warning for kids falling from windows

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington health officials are warning parents after four children have been treated at Harborview Medical Center in the past month for injuries resulting from falling through windows.

The Seattle Times reports (http://is.gd/ohss4B ) that according to the state Trauma Registry, more than 330 children in Washington were hospitalized after falling from windows between 2011 and 2013.

A 2011 study in the journal Pediatrics says nearly 5,200 children are treated in U.S. emergency rooms after falling out of windows each year. More than two-thirds of the injuries occur in children younger than 5 and head injuries are common because toddlers and preschoolers are top-heavy and frequently fall headfirst.

Officials are recommending parents purchase window guards that limit how far a window can open.

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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com

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