Tipping TVs Still a Danger

News Review From Harvard Medical School -- Tipping TVs Still a Danger

Falling TVs have always been a danger to young children. Almost every house in the US has at least one TV. More than half of all households have three or more TVs. A new study looked at TV-related injuries in children between 1990 and 2011. During that 22-year period, about 381,000 children under age 18 were treated in emergency rooms for TV-related injuries. That’s an average of about 17,000 children a year. Or about one child every 30 minutes. The most common injury was from a TV falling on a child (53%). Two out of three children were under age five. Injuries to the head or neck were most common, followed by injuries to the legs. The information came from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. The study appeared in the Journal Pediatrics.

By Henry H. Bernstein, D.O.
Harvard Medical School

What Is the Doctor's Reaction?

Parents want to have a safe home. They spend hours childproofing it. Yet homes are full of dangerous things. For example, they have table corners, electrical outlets, and cleaning products. What most parents do not know is that even the television (TV) can be harmful.

It is no surprise that lots of children are hurt from TV-related accidents. Just about every household in the US has at least one TV. More than half have three or more TVs. Plus, many TVs are not put in safe places. The journal Pediatrics just published a study highlighting this problem.

Researchers looked at the details and trends of TV-related injuries in children between 1990 and 2011. The information came from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

During the 22-year study period, about 381,000 people under age 18 were treated in emergency rooms for TV-related injuries. This is an average of 17,000 children going to the ER each year. That is about one child every 30 minutes!

Injuries to children were caused by:

• A TV falling on a child (53% of the time)
• The child walking or running into a TV (38%)
• An accident while moving a TV (5%)

Other important findings reported were:

• Two out of three children injured by TVs were under age five.
• Two-year-olds were most commonly injured.
• Boys were injured more often than girls.
• Injuries to the head or neck were most common, followed by injuries to the legs.

The types of injuries noted were:

• Cuts (37%)
• Bumps and Scrapes (35%)
• Closed-head injuries or concussions (12%)
• Broken bones (8%)
• Strains or sprains (3%)

The overall rate of TV-related injuries stayed the same during the study period. But the rate of injuries caused by falling TVs almost doubled! This is bad news. Injuries from falling TVs tend to be the most serious.

The increased rate of falling TVs might be because flat screen TVs are more popular now. They are lighter and less bulky. This makes it easier for them to tip over. Plus, when families buy new flat screen TVs, they sometimes move their older TVs to less safe places in the house. Examples include putting the old, heavy TV on top of a dresser, a chest of drawers, or an armoire. These pieces of furniture are not meant to support TVs.

What Changes Can I Make Now?

It is scary to think that your child could get hurt by a falling TV. Here are things you can do to keep your child safe.

Secure your TV

• If you have a flat screen TV, attach it properly to the wall. Follow the instructions to make sure you secure it well.
• If you have an old-style TV, place it on a low and stable piece of furniture.

Secure your furniture

• Use anchors, braces, or straps to secure the furniture to the floor and wall.
• Keep heavier items on lower shelves or in lower drawers. “Top-heavy” furniture is more likely to tip-over.
• Install stops on dresser drawers. This prevents the drawers from being pulled out all the way. Dressers are more likely to tip over when several drawers are pulled out at once.

Never let your child climb on furniture

• Many TV tip-overs happen when children climb on TV stands, bookcases, dressers or shelves. This is very dangerous because the furniture could fall on your child.

Do not place toys, remote controls or other attractive items on top of the TV

• This might encourage your child to climb on furniture and cause a TV tip-over.

What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?

We can all do a better job preventing injuries from TVs:

• You can tell friends, family and neighbors about this danger.
• TV makers can design TVs to be more stable and less likely to tip-over. They can also make sure all TVs are sold with safety anchors.
• The government can set regulations or standards about what makes a TV stable.