[Head injuries from falls in children of 2 ethnic groups].

The highly prevalent problem of falls, the main cause of head injury in children, responds to preventive intervention. To aid in designing fall-prevention programs, we defined the pre- and post-hospitalization characteristics of children of 2 predominant Israeli ethnic groups: Jews (Group A) and non-Jews (Group B). In a prospective study conducted over a 10-month period in our emergency room during the morning shift, data from 274 patients aged 0-14 who presented with head injury due to a fall were collected. In Group B falls and damage were significantly more severe. Based on these differences in injury and in referral patterns between the 2 groups, a high-risk profile for head injury from falls in children was compiled to aid in designing an effective prevention program.