JULY 4, 2025
With nearly 9,700 firework-related injuries reported in the United States in 2023, new research has drilled down on the worrisome trend of facial firework injuries to children.
Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System spanning the decade period from 2014 to 2023 found reports of roughly 4,635 pediatric facial injuries presenting in emergency departments. Boys were more likely to be injured than girls (n=177; P<0.001) (J Burn Care Res 2025 Apr 26.
With nearly 9,700 firework-related injuries reported in the United States in 2023, new research has drilled down on the worrisome trend of facial firework injuries to children.
Data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System spanning the decade period from 2014 to 2023 found reports of roughly 4,635 pediatric facial injuries presenting in emergency departments. Boys were more likely to be injured than girls (n=177; P<0.001) (J Burn Care Res 2025 Apr 26. doi:10.1093/jbcr/iraf065).
Thermal burns (60.5%), lacerations (15.3%) and contusions/abrasions (11.9%) were the most common injuries reported. Hospitalization or transfer was required in 17.5% of cases, and more common among older children (odds ratio [OR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.04-1.23; P=0.005).
Sparkler-related incidents were the predominant cause of injury in younger children and decreased with age (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.68-0.86; P<0.001).
The researchers, from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, Minn., stated that fireworks “continue to cause significant pediatric facial injuries, with thermal burns being the most common diagnosis, and nearly one in five facial injuries from fireworks requiring hospitalization.” The focus of efforts to curb facial firework injuries, according to the investigators, should focus on minimizing the risk for injury to younger children while ensuring safety protocols are in place to address more significant injuries in older children.
—PMN Staff
