If a child falls off a bicycle, it can cause serious internal injuries... Be careful of "handlebar trauma"

The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan is warning people of accidents in which children fall off their bicycles and end up with the end of the handle digging deep into their stomachs. This is called ``steering wheel trauma,'' and although it may seem like a minor injury at first glance, there are cases in which it can cause severe internal organ damage.

According to the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan and other organizations, from April 2021 to July 2026, there were 39 accidents involving children 15 years old or younger who suffered injuries to their abdomen or internal organs due to bicycle handlebars.

In September 2022, a 9-year-old boy was unable to negotiate a curve while riding his bicycle and fell, hitting his abdomen with the handlebars. At first, the patient was kept under observation at home, but when the pain worsened and she began to vomit, she went to the doctor and discovered that she had damaged her pancreas.

Handlebar injuries are characterized by the impact being concentrated in a narrow area, the end of the handle. As a result, the damage to internal organs may be more serious than the level of scratches and bruises on the surface of the body, and the ``appearance of lightness'' does not match the ``severity of the body'' in this accident.

Children have soft ribs and may not be able to protect their internal organs.

Masahiko Sakamoto, deputy director of pediatrics at Saku General Hospital Saku Medical Center (Nagano Prefecture), says, ``Handlebar injuries tend to involve internal organ damage, and there is a high rate of requiring surgery.There are also reports that the risk of requiring major surgery is 3.4 times higher than for non-handlebar injuries, and the surgical rate was approximately 31.5%.''

Children between the ages of 6 and 14 are most likely to suffer from steering wheel trauma, with 9 to 10 years old being especially common. Children's internal organs occupy a larger proportion of their abdomen than adults, and their ribs are soft and underdeveloped, making them unable to protect their organs adequately, which can easily lead to serious injuries.

The danger also changes depending on the shape of the handle. Generally, the thinner the handle, the more likely the impact will be concentrated in a narrow area, increasing the risk of damaging internal organs. If the handle grip is damaged and the metal pipe inside is exposed, it could lead to a more serious accident.

The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan also urges children to regularly tell their children that ``if you hit your stomach, you may become unwell after some time.''