Although the number of children aged 4 or younger that are treated in the emergency room for slip and fall accidents on stairs has declined in recent years, doctors insist the numbers are still too high.  The journal, Pediatrics, recently published research collected from 1999 to 2008 showing a decline in emergency room visits regarding stair-related injuries for children under 5.  The numbers average out to a child being rushed to the emergency room every six minutes for slip and fall injuries related to stairs.

During the 10 years the study took place, it was shown that 3% of the children had been hospitalized from hemorrhages in the brain or concussions.  Most of the injuries were to the head or neck areas of the body, although other scrapes, bruises and cuts were seen.  Fractures to the thigh or arm were also serious injuries that resulted from the accidents.  More than half of the children seen in the emergency room were male, and patients aged one were the largest group represented.

Approximately one-fourth of children younger than one were being carried on the stairs at the time of the accident, by a parent or other caregiver.