Dads, kids, and lost fingers – warning to dads of toddlers

Dads and their small kids share another thing in common – a greater risk of losing fingers.

A study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine reports that children lose fingers to opening and closing doors. Men lose theirs to power tools.

The study found that about 28,000 people go to the emergency rooms in the US and that the greatest concentration is kids under 5 and men of ages between 55 and 64.

Among kids, a full 73% fell prey to closing doors, while 47% of the older male’s amputations were due to power tools.

The recommendation is to install pinch guards on doors and to watch carefully when kids are playing near them. Another solution is the Fingershield, which covers the area I consider more dangerous, behind the door near the hinges where little hands can get caught without being seen. As a dad who recently came milliseconds from taking off several of his son’s fingers in a closing door, I strongly advise taking this one seriously. This accident can happen very quickly when little kids are playing behind a door while an adult is preoccupied with saying goodbye to friends or signing for a delivery.

As for the power tools, most accidents happen due to momentary lapses of judgment. The old advice always holds true: “don’t drink and drill.”

– Paul Banas
Founder / Editor