Emergent Pediatric Head and Neck Toy Injuries From 2014 to 2024

Objective: To examine trends in pediatric head and neck injuries caused by toys presenting to United States emergency departments. Study Design: Retrospective analysis of a national injury database. Setting: Data was sourced from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database, representing emergency department (ED) visits across the United States. Methods: The NEISS database was queried for ED visits involving pediatric head and neck injuries caused by toys from 2014 to 2024. Data analyzed included patient demographics, year and age at injury, diagnosis, location of injury on the body, patient outcome, and a narrative description of the event. Results: The query yielded 31 012 injuries, corresponding to a national estimate of 711 809 injuries over the 11-year period. Children aged 3 to 5 years were the most frequently injured group (36.9%), and males accounted for 64.9% of cases. The most common diagnoses were lacerations (40.9%), foreign bodies (19.4%), and contusions/abrasions (15.4%). Toys most frequently implicated include non-powered scooters (7.3%), bouncy balls (6.7%), building sets (5.6%), and toy vehicles (5.2%). Conclusion: The consistently high annual number of injuries, which stabilized following a temporary decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that further revision of toy safety guidelines is necessary. Craniofacial surgeons also play an important role in patient education surrounding at-risk toys.