A 6-year-old child was seriously hurt Thursday afternoon after falling from a second-story window in Milwaukee, according to police. Officers were called to the scene just after 3:45 p.m., and the child was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Milwaukee police say the circumstances remain under investigation, and the fall is believed to be accidental.
According to CBS 58, the fall happened on Thursday, June 18, near 32nd and National. Officials told the outlet the incident "appears to be an accident." The station also reported that officers arrived shortly after 3:45 p.m. and that the victim was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
How common these falls are
Window falls send thousands of children to emergency rooms across the country each year. A national review published in Pediatrics estimated that about 98,415 children in the United States were treated for window-fall injuries between 1990 and 2008, an average of roughly 5,180 cases a year. The review also found that the youngest children are the most likely to suffer serious harm in these incidents.
Safety groups and hospitals warn that standard window screens are not designed to stop a child from falling, and that furniture placed under or near windows is often a key factor when kids manage to climb up and fall out. The CPSC has repeatedly emphasized this combination of climbable furniture and open windows as a major hazard.
What safety experts recommend
Experts urge families to take a few practical steps to cut the risk. They recommend keeping beds, couches, chairs and other climbable furniture away from windows, and installing window guards or stops so that windows open no more than four inches. They also stress that window screens should never be treated as a form of fall protection.
Resources such as Prevent Child Injury and pediatric hospitals point families to window guards that adults can open quickly for escape in an emergency, along with window-opening control devices that meet ASTM safety standards. Supervising young children around open windows, especially on upper floors, is considered critical whenever windows are opened for ventilation.
Local next steps
Milwaukee police say the investigation into Thursday's fall is ongoing, and officials have not released the child's name or additional details. As reported by CBS 58, investigators currently describe the incident as appearing accidental while they continue to gather information. We will update this article if authorities release additional information.
