The child as a projectile

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death in children under the ag e of fourteen. The majority of these injuries/deaths occur when the child b ecomes airborne during an accident. The most common mechanisms by which chi ldren become airborne are motor vehicle collisions, bicycling accidents, an d falls. A head injury is seen in a significant number of children in this setting. This includes injury to the scalp, skull, coverings of the brain, or the brain itself. These injuries are the most common cause of death in c hildren resulting from unintentional injury. Other typical injuries include external bruises and abrasions, extremity fractures, and bruising or bleed ing of internal organs. We propose to name this constellation of injuries t he projectile child syndrome. This refers to those injuries occurring in in fants and children as a result of becoming airborne during the events of an accident. The pattern of injuries seen as related to the anatomy of the ch ild is stressed. A review of the impact to society and guidelines for preve ntion are presented. Anat, Rec, (New Anat,) 253: 167-175, 1998, (C) 1998 Wi ley-Liss, Inc.