A toddler in Cantemir district has survived a 5-story fall from an apartment window. The boy, 2, suffered head injuries and a rib fracture.
The police found that the boy was being baby-sat by his aunt as the parents were at work. Left to himself in a room, the boy climbed up an armchair and then onto the sill of an open window, which had an insect screen. Eventually the screen gave in and the boy fell.
Anatolie Litovcenco, head of the Mother and Child Center's neurosurgery department where the toddler was admitted, said that, one day from the incident, the boy's condition is moderately serious yet stable. The doctor said it was the insect screen that actually saved the boy's life, as it cushioned the fall that passed through tree branches and protected the child from the injuries that those branches could have caused.
Doctor Litovcenco advised parents to be prudent and avoid leaving small children unattended, event for very briefly, as this can put their lives in peril.
Parents should also know that insect screens may come off very easily, and instead of opening windows completely they should tilt-open them inwards. Chairs, tables and other pieces should not be placed near windows or balconies.
According to the National Health Management Center, last year 2,427 children under five years suffered injuries, 51 of whom died.
