In the bustling city of New Delhi, a startling statistic has emerged – over 4,000 children have suffered injuries from falls, leading to 151 tragic fatalities in the past six years. The Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre at AIIMS has been at the forefront of treating these cases, with a particular focus on balcony-related falls among children. As part of their ongoing efforts to address this issue, a round table symposium under the ‘Safe Balcony Safe Child Initiative’ is set to take place during the 8th AIIMS Annual Neurotrauma Conference.
The Alarming Rise in Child Falls
Professor Deepak Gupta of the AIIMS neurosurgery department revealed that in 2018 alone, 680 children were rushed to the trauma centre after falling from heights. This number included 69 cases that required neurosurgery and 22 cases that needed specialized care for trauma and orthopaedic injuries. Tragically, nine children did not survive their falls, while 13 passed away during their hospital stay. The remaining 78 children were able to be discharged after treatment.
The following years saw a steady increase in the number of children admitted to the trauma centre due to falls – 820 in 2019, 619 in 2020, 450 in 2021, 804 in 2022, and 757 in 2023. With the rise in admissions, the need for more beds became evident, resulting in an increase in neurosurgery admissions to 103 children in 2022 and 120 in 2023. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, the total number of fatalities over the years reached 150, highlighting the severity of these incidents.
The Call for Preventive Measures
Despite the launch of the ‘Safe Balcony, Safe Child’ campaign in 2022, there has been no significant reduction in head trauma cases, with an average of 700-800 head trauma cases arriving at the emergency department each year. Professor Deepak Gupta referenced a successful US campaign from the 1970s, ‘Kids Cannot Fly,’ which led to a 96% reduction in falls over 16 years. Drawing inspiration from this, he emphasized the need for behavioral changes and building reforms, with government intervention playing a crucial role.
Professor Gupta stressed the importance of implementing specific guidelines to prevent falls, such as ensuring a minimum balcony height of one meter, using vertical instead of horizontal rails, maintaining gaps between vertical bars under 4 inches, keeping balconies free of furniture, and mandating adult supervision. He also highlighted the need for revising government guidelines for high-rise buildings to address safety concerns in rural areas where roof parapets are lacking.
Professor Amit Gupta of AIIMS underscored that this issue extends beyond urban settings, with patients arriving from both urban and rural areas within Delhi and the NCR region. He emphasized the importance of establishing dedicated trauma databases at all trauma centers to drive policy changes and preventive measures. Currently, the AIIMS trauma center is leading an ICMR National Task Force project involving eight centers to improve data registration, quality improvement, policy formation, and preventive strategies.
As the medical community continues to grapple with the rising number of child falls, the need for collaborative efforts between healthcare providers, policymakers, and the community at large becomes increasingly urgent. By implementing comprehensive preventive measures and raising awareness about the dangers of falls from heights, we can strive to create a safer environment for children across the country.
