Pediatrics: greatest risk of injury from falls occurs in which age range?

• A. 1 year to 5 years
• B. 0 to 1 year
• C. 5 to 10 years
• D. 10 to 15 years

Answer: (A)

Young children in this early, exploratory stage are learning to walk, run, climb, and play, while their coordination and judgment are still developing. Because they’re curious and mobile, they encounter more opportunities to fall, and their bodies haven’t yet built the strength and balance to minimize injury. The head is relatively large for their body, so when falls do occur, head injuries can be more common or more severe. These combined factors make the one-to-five-year-old range the period with the greatest risk of injury from falls. As kids get older, improved coordination and safety awareness reduce fall risk, though it remains present.