More than 40 per cent of children who presented to The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH), Melbourne, with head injuries were aged two or under, with the majority injured from falls including being accidentally dropped by a parent or falling out of high chairs, beds, prams and shopping trolleys.

The findings, published in the latest Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, have prompted calls by Kidsafe for an education campaign for parents and carers to help reduce the number of preventable head injuries.

Researcher Louise Crowe, of Murdoch Childrens, said previous studies on head injuries in children had been inconclusive, with some overseas research showing older children were more at risk of head injuries.

"In our study, we found children under the age of two were at the biggest risk," Ms Crowe said.

"This is partly because children in this age group are learning to crawl and walk, so they are more at risk of injuring themselves. But a high number of these injuries can be attributed to a lack of parental supervision and understanding of young childrens' safety needs."

The study - the first of its kind to report on a full range of hospital-based child head injuries in Australia - looked at the medical records of 1115 babies and children aged up to 16 years who presented to the RCH's emergency department with head injuries.

It found 460 children (41 per cent) were aged two or under, with three quarters injured from falls and more than half (57 per cent) injured at home.

This included 172 children (37 per cent) who fell from heights of less than 1 metre such as from couches, beds, prams, change tables and shopping trolleys and 61 children (13 per cent) who fell from more than 1 metre including bunk beds, bench tops and bookcases. Meanwhile 50 children (11 per cent) were taken to hospital after being dropped by a parent or adult.

Children aged between 3-5 years had the second highest rate of head injuries, accounting for 20 per cent of hospital presentations, while those aged between 15-16 were the least likely to attend hospital with a head injury at five per cent.
 
"Head injuries are a major cause of death and disability in children and can result in difficulties with attention, learning and speech,"

Ms Crowe said. "There needs to be more awareness about holding techniques and home safety measures such as putting guards on beds and gates on stairs to reduce injuries."

Kidsafe Victoria Vice President Robert Caulfield said the findings highlighted the need for education programs for parents to reduce preventable head injuries.

"This should be a wake up call to parents about safety issues, particularly around the home," he said.

"All it takes is split second decision to answer the phone, while leaving a baby on a change table. They can roll for the first time and fall, causing a serious life long head injury."

Murdoch Childrens Research Institute