Falls and healthcare use in infants under 12 months in South Korea: a cross-sectional online survey

Abstract Background: Falls are a common cause of unintentional injury in infants. This study investigated the mechanisms underlying infant falls and healthcare use, measured as hospital visits. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional descriptive design and an online survey. The questionnaire investigated the general characteristics of parents and infants, fall-related variables, and healthcare use. Results: The analysis showed that the most significant falls occurred when the infants were 6.97 months old. Most fall incidents occurred indoors (95.2%), even when the caregivers were supervising the infants (68.0%). The most frequent circumstances of falls were due to falling off furniture (75.3%) and falling from the caregiver’s arms (9.5%). Following infant falls, 36.4% of the participants visited hospitals, and infants who visited hospitals were diagnosed with concussions and lacerations. The logistic regression analysis revealed that healthcare use following infant falls was significantly associated with being a firstborn child (odds ratio [OR]: 5.32) and falling from a caregiver’s arms (OR: 4.22). Conclusion: As falls occur at an early age, parental education is required during the perinatal period. Education should include methods for preventing and coping with infant falls.