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More than 26,000 children injured by hoverboards between 2015 and 2016
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With the release of the hoverboard in 2015 came 26,854 injuries treated in United States EDs related to the product, with the most commonly affected area being the wrist, according to findings published in Pediatrics.
The types and distribution of injuries sustained while using these products are comparable with those endured while using skateboards, according to the researchers.
“Hoverboards are associated with mainly fractures, especially of the forearm and wrist, contusions and sprains,” Sean Bandzar, MD, an emergency medicine resident at New York-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center, told Infectious Diseases in Children. “Parents of children using hoverboards should be cognizant of these injuries and consider using protective gear such as helmets and wrist pads.”
To examine the types and features of injuries related to hoverboard use and to compare these injuries with those obtained through skateboarding in the pediatric population, the researchers collected data on related injuries in children younger than 18 years. These data, which were recorded between 2015 and 2016, were gathered from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and included information on demographics, body regions injured and ED disposition.
Bandzar and colleagues estimated that 26,854 injuries related to hoverboard use and 121,398 injuries related to skateboard use presented to EDs within the U.S. between 2015 and 2016. The average and median age for hoverboard injuries was 11 years, and the average and median age for skateboard injuries was 13 years. Boys were most commonly injured using these products.
Differences were noted between the injuries related to skateboards and hoverboards, with injuries from hoverboards occurring most frequently in the home and injuries related to skateboards occurring most frequently on the street. For both groups, wrist injuries were the most common reason for ED treatment, and fractures were the most frequently given diagnosis for both skateboard and hoverboard injuries.
Although most children were released from the hospital after diagnosis, 3% required hospitalization.
“I would suggest that pediatricians ask parents whether their children use hoverboards and provide counseling regarding possible injuries,” Bandzar said. “Additionally, pediatricians should encourage that children receive adequate parental supervision while using these products.”– by Katherine Bortz
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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