Of all Childhood amputations, the fingers are most at risk for surgical removal, according to study findings by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and published in the Journal of Trauma. For the study, U.S. researchers reviewed data showing all pediatric amputations involving kids age 17 and younger in 2003. The scientists found that, of those 950 amputations, more than 80 percent claimed a child’s finger or thumb. The study also showed that hand injuries (caused by catching a hand between objects) was the most common cause of amputation among kids 4 and younger.
“Doors are easily accessible to the exploring fingers of young children, who are unaware of the potential dangers,” said Gary Smith, MD, DrPH, Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the study’s lead author, in press materials from the hospital. In a study that analyzed 2005 statistics, researchers confirmed the big dangers doors pose to children’s hands. The results of that study showed that kids 2 and younger experienced the highest finger amputation rates among childhood age groups. The cause? Door-related injuries. But parents can take measures to help their kids avoid these traumatic surgeries. “Prevention strategies, such as doorstops and other door design modifications, can help reduce the number of door-related amputation injuries,” Smith said.
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