A tragic incident occurred in Austria where an 11-month-old baby endured a severe foot injury after being involved in a lawnmower accident.
Dr. Johannes Schalamon’s department at Klagenfurt Clinic, Austria’s third-biggest training hospital, has seen a rise in the treatment of lawnmower-related injuries in little children each year. Amputation is essential for some of these injuries.
The popularity of ‘robotic’ lawnmowers has increased the risk of accidents.
A little girl from Ammanford, south-east Wales, made headlines after losing her leg in a lawnmower accident. She was chosen to represent her nation in a prominent US dancing performance. Her remarkable tale made headlines and moved many to tears.
Following a below-the-knee amputation and after receiving a prosthetic limb, she surprised doctors by entering the event three months after the injury.
Alys lost skin on her lower leg after her leg became entangled in her father’s ride-on lawnmower while playing in the garden with her sister.
She questioned whether she could accomplish things she could before the tragedy.
Welsh Government money provided Alys a chance, and her will and determination overcame her handicap.
She defied the odds, regaining her skills using a specialized blade provided by the Welsh Health Specialist Services Committee.
A 2021 assessment of lawnmower-related injuries found a worrying trend: mishaps are rising globally.
The authors observed that such injuries may be life-altering.
The study examined 142 young patients over a 25-year span, with an average age of only seven and a half.
Nearly 70% of patients had open fractures, and 40% required amputation. Out of all the patients, almost 70% experienced an open fracture, and around 40% needed amputation.
Younger patients were more likely to have wrist or ankle amputations. The absence of adult supervision was usually a contributing factor.
Research in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons found that 9,400 US children are injured by lawnmowers each year.
