Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.

This week on Health Watch, we're talking about keeping kids safe. Previously, we learned that television can be bad for kids, and not just because of the program content. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas found that TV sets themselves can be a serious cause of injury.

Dr. Floyd Ota, the UT Southwestern pediatrician who led the study, says part of the problem is that much of a TV set's weight is concentrated in the front of the set. That makes it prone to toppling forward if it's not on a stable, secure display area. Many TV-related injuries happen when a toddler tries to climb on the furniture holding the TV set, which then causes the TV to fall on the child. To prevent injuries, TVs should be set up on a firm, stable surface and secured.

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June 2006

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