Male Speaker: Sitting down together to watch TV is routine for most families, but for the Stevenson's it's a reminder of a scary situation. Recently Michael and his sister Julian were in this bed room watching this TV when they both decided to climb the dresser. In an incident everything fell and their mother rushed into find a 40 pound television had crashed on to the head of her 3 year old son.
Shawn Stevenson: I think the part that scared them the most was blood coming out of one year and then you know just I don't know if I can describe what it's like, but to see one side of his face not moving.
Male Speaker: The TV fractured Micheal skull in two places living him temporarily deaf on one side and his face paralyzed on the other and a new study says injuries like this happen much more often then you might think.
Gary Smith: Each year in this country almost 15,000 children are treated in hospital in emergency departments for injuries related to furniture tip over.
Male Speaker: Doctor Gary Smith of nation wide childrens hospital says well dressers and book cases are at risk. Most of the time it's TV's that fall on kids. TV sets have got an much bigger over the years and many older models like this one are front heavy, which makes them tip much easier. In his study just popular star line fro the journal clinical pediatrics doctor Smith found that between 1990 and 2007 the number of kids injured by furniture tip overs increased more than 40%. Smith says to securing larger pieces of furniture to the wall which straps or bracket is crucial and there are other steps parents can take to prevent these injuries.
Gary Smith: Never put attractive items such as a toy or a TV remote control on top of the furniture and top of the TV children often will try to climb up to reach those and that will cause the furniture to top over and top of them.
Male Speaker: Most of the kids who are hurt are like Michael most your boys less than 7-years-old and most suffer blows to the head. Most of the parents are just like this Stevenson, who has no idea just how quickly a routine day could turn into a night mare situation. At nation wide children's hospital this is Karl Paul reporting.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services