UPDATE: 6-year-old hospitalised after second-storey fall
2pm: THE CENTRAL Queensland Hospital and Health Service has confirmed the 6-year-old boy remains in a stable condition at Gladstone Base Hospital.
12.55pm: A 6-YEAR-OLD boy has been hospitalised after falling out of a second-storey window at a West Gladstone home.
Paramedics attended the scene after receiving a call for a long fall just before midday.
The boy was in a stable condition as he was transported to Gladstone Base Hospital.
The extent of his injuries are not yet known.
Updates to follow.
LOOKING BACK | Child safety
>> Gladstone's public hospital treats more than 300 for falls
>> CCTV: More children falling between trains and platforms
>> WATCH: Horror as toddler climbs out apartment window
>> Toddler 'stable but serious' after falling six metres
Preventing falls from windows and balconies
Accidental falls account for 46% of injury hospitalisations for children aged between 5 and 14, according to a 2012 study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
They account for 42% of injury hospitalistions for children aged between 0 and 4, making it the leading cause of hospitalisation for both age brackets.
To prevent children falling from windows, The Children's Hospital at Westmead recommends:
- All windows above the ground floor to be opened no more than 12.5cm
- All windows have locks or latches fitted to stop those windows opening further
- Beds and other furniture are kept away from windows so children cannot climb up to them
- Parents do not rely on flyscreens to prevent a child from falling out of a window.
