As the Puget Sound region settles into the summer months, more children are accidentally falling out of open windows.
Dr. Brian Johnston, chief of Pediatrics at Harborview Medical Center, said the area is in the "throes of window fall season." The lack of air conditioning in homes in the region paired with warmer weather leads to more open windows, increasing the risk of children falling out of them.
In Snohomish County, 14 children have fallen out of windows so far this year, nearly doubling its annual average of eight incidents, a news release from South County Fire states.
Shawneri Guzman, South County Fire community outreach manager and coordinator for Safe Kids Snohomish County, cited new construction homes as contributing to the increase in falls.
"We are seeing more severe injuries than in previous years as many falls are happening in new construction, single-family homes or townhomes where the bedrooms are located on the third story," Guzman said in the release.
South County Fire did not provide data on the reported correlation between new construction homes and an increase in child window falls.
Johnston said Harborview treats about 50 children who've fallen out of windows annually. He said the number of fall patients has remained consistent over the last 20 years.
"These events happen most commonly to 2-3 year old children. And because toddlers are 'top heavy' they tend to fall headfirst," Johnston said in an email. "The most common injuries we see are head injuries (skull fractures and brain bleeds) along with injuries to the neck and upper extremities."
The extent of injuries depends on how high the child fell from and what surface was underneath.
Fire officials and Johnston both recommend parents be vigilant when their children are near open windows, even if they have screens, as they can provide a false sense of security. Last week, two children in Everett fell out of windows, both occurring after the window screens gave out, according to the city's fire department.
"In our clinics, we remind parents that insect screens keep bugs out, they don't keep children in," Johnston said.
Fire and health officials say window stops or guards are adequate prevention measures. South County Fire also recommends planting bushes outside of windows to help cushion potential falls.
The warnings come as the Seattle office of the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the Puget Sound area from noon Friday to 10 p.m. Monday. Temperatures are forecast to be in the upper 80s and 90s.
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