At Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, approximately 28 children are treated for traumatic injuries suffered from window falls each year. The most common age of falls occurs between the ages of 3 and 5, and doctors say the injuries seem to be getting more serious.

In 2021, Jazarah Staton fell from her second-story bedroom window when she was 3 years old. She suffered a traumatic brain injury caused by a frontal skull fracture and a minor brain bleed.

“We had just kicked off the summer with a long day at the water park and when we got home we put her to bed,” said the child’s father, Tariq Staton. “We cracked the window open so it would let in a nice cool breeze.”

About 30 minutes later, Staton said he heard a loud bang on the garage door. His first instinct was to run to his daughter’s room to make sure she was OK. When he got there, he couldn’t see her in her bed and realized there was a hole in the screen.

“She had fallen out of the window and was wedged between my car and the garage door,” he said.

Staton and his wife, Shayna, rushed the little girl to Intermountain Riverton Hospital where she was stabilized and transported to Primary Children’s Hospital. Today, Jazarah is doing fine, but her parents say they realize it could have been much worse. They immediately invested in a window lock and are encouraging other parents to do so as well.

“Not only did we want to share our story, but we wanted to let parents know there are ways to prevent this from happening,” said Shayna Staton.

Michelle Jamison, community health program manager at Primary Children’s, said open windows can be a hidden fall hazard for children, and thousands of kids are injured from window falls every year nationwide.

“But we can all help prevent these injuries by following the 4-inch rule. Open windows 4 inches — about the length of a business card,” she said. “You can also invest in a window lock and when you are arranging furniture in a room, make sure you keep it away from the windows where curious children will climb. Windows and screens are designed to keep bugs out, but they don’t keep kids in.”

Primary Children’s is offering free window clings to help everyone remember the 4-inch rule. They can be placed on windows where people will see them as they go to open their windows. The window clings are available in English and Spanish and will be mailed free while supplies last.

To get one, fill out a request form at www.primarychildrens.org/safety.