Falls Involving Young Kids: Parents’ Ability to Monitor Their Children Is Limited

Editorial

13:59 JST, July 7, 2025

Accidents involving young children falling from balconies and windows are heartbreaking. Even when parents are at home, it is not always possible to prevent such incidents. It is important to create a living environment that minimizes the risk of accidents.

The Consumer Safety Investigation Committee has published a report analyzing accidents in which children younger than 6 years old fell to their deaths from windows or balconies of houses or apartment buildings.

The report covered 134 cases confirmed nationwide over a 32-year period from 1993 to 2024, with about 90% occurring at apartments. The falls were from balconies in 92 cases and from windows in 42 cases.

In about 70% of all the incidents, objects that children could stand on — such as outdoor units for air conditioners or chairs — were placed on balconies or near windows. In 91 cases, the windows are believed to have been locked, raising the possibility that the children opened the locks themselves.

In the case of a 2-year-old boy who was living in a third-floor apartment, the child is believed to have gotten on top of items such as an aquarium tank placed on the balcony and climbed over a 1.2-meter-high rail. In an accident involving a 3-year-old girl, a wheeled platform that should have been in the living room had been moved to the balcony.

By age, 3-year-olds accounted for the highest number of accidents at 49 cases, followed by 4-year-olds at 29 and 2-year-olds at 26. Three- and 4-year-old children are highly curious and prone to unexpected behavior, so extra caution is necessary.

Accidents occurred while parents were at home in 65 cases, exceeding the 55 in which parents were not at home. Even when parents are present, they are often busy with household tasks or work. It is important to recognize that it is difficult to constantly monitor the movements of children who actively move around.

Falls can occur in an instant, and parents may often notice too late. To prevent accidents from occurring, it is essential to create a living environment suited to a child’s stage of development.

First, it is important not to place any object on balconies that children can stand on. The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry requires outside units for air conditioners to be installed at least 60 centimeters away from balcony railings.

Raising the height of locks or installing additional locks to prevent children from easily opening windows is also effective. The gaps between vertical rails should be narrowed to prevent children from slipping through.

The government is urged to raise awareness among parents and guardians about accident prevention measures. According to a survey released by the Consumer Affairs Agency in 2022, only 12% of respondents had installed extra locks and only 26% had worked to make sure there were no objects that children could use as footing.

Once a fall occurs, the accident is irreversible. To prevent tragedies, it is important to regularly check for potential hazards and take steps to eliminate risks.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 7, 2025)