Citation

Yingst B, Reeves PT, Krishnamurthy J, Pasman EA, Nylund CM. Pediatr. Emerg. Care 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PEC.0000000000002487

PMID

35072990

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Toilet training is a major developmental milestone. Unsupervised periods combined with immature gross and fine motor skills may lead to toddler injuries during toilet training. Our aim was to investigate toilet-related injuries (TIs) in children.

METHODS: Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System were used to evaluate emergency department encounters of children ages 0 to 6 years with TI from 2000 to 2019.

RESULTS: There were an estimated 142,606 children (95% confidence interval, 115,599-168,613) who presented to the emergency department for TI. Toilets were involved in 95% of injuries, and other potty chairs (PCs) involved 5% of injuries. Children had higher odds of sustaining head injury while using a toilet versus PC (adjusted odds ratio = 1.91; 95% CI, 1.06-3.45).

CONCLUSIONS: Toilet-related injuries present a high burden of risk to young children. Our data support that the safest vessel for use in toilet training is a PC/training seat as opposed to the toilet.

Language: en