Bicycle helmets and accidental asphyxia in childhood

Byard, Roger W; Cala, Allan; Ritchey, Donald; Woodford, Noel

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2011.tb04150.x

Topics

To the Editor: We would like to report the deaths of three young children in Australia as a result of hanging from bicycle helmets. Our aim is to draw attention to this rare but entirely preventable cause of childhood death.

1 Discipline of Anatomy and Pathology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA.
2 Hunter New England Health, Newcastle, NSW.
3 Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, TAS.
4 Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, Melbourne, VIC.

Correspondence: roger.byard@sa.gov.au

1. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Product safety Australia. http://www.productsafety.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/970225 (accessed Oct 2010).
2. Tinsworth DA, McDonald JE. Special study: injuries and deaths associated with children’s playground equipment. Washington, DC: US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 2001. http://www.cpsc.gov/LIBRARY/Playgrnd.pdf (accessed Oct 2010).
3. Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute. Playgrounds and helmets don’t mix! http://www.helmets.org/playgrou.htm (accessed Oct 2010).
4. National Coroners Information System [website]. http://www.ncis.org.au (accessed Oct 2010).
5. Byard RW. Accidental childhood death and the role of the pathologist. Pediatr Dev Pathol 2000; 3: 405-418.

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