A two-year-old Brentwood girl gave her family the ultimate scare on Monday when she fell from a second-story window and had to be airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center. Police said she had leaned against a window screen while on a bed, the screen gave way, and she dropped to the ground below. Emergency crews moved quickly, calling in a helicopter for rapid transport to the Sacramento trauma center. She has since been released from the hospital, according to police.
What the police say
Brentwood Police PIO Chris Bollinger told Contra Costa Herald that officers and emergency personnel responded around 12:30 p.m. to the 600 block of Timberline Terrace after the two-year-old fell from a second-story window. Bollinger said the child had been on a bed near an open window when the screen failed under her weight. She was flown to UC Davis Medical Center for evaluation and treatment and has since been released from the hospital.
Why screens don't stop a fall
Child-safety experts stress that window screens are bug barriers, not child barriers. Many falls happen when a child leans or climbs against what looks like a solid surface but is really just a lightweight mesh. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that relying on screens to keep kids safe is dangerous and recommends window guards or stops instead. Hospitals and injury-prevention centers report that falls from windows send thousands of children to emergency departments each year. Nationwide Children's Hospital advises moving furniture away from windows, using devices that limit how far a window can open, and closely supervising young children around any open window.
Local care and precautions
UC Davis Medical Center serves as a regional trauma center and, according to its patient-transfer guidance, regularly accepts time-sensitive transfers by helicopter. Brentwood Police did not release the child's name or provide additional medical details, in keeping with the account provided to Contra Costa Herald. Officials urged families to check window hardware, secure or upgrade screens, and consider installing window guards or window stops on upper-floor windows to cut the risk of a similar fall.
