Phone-related Injuries to Children and Babies: What Parents Need to Know

Caregivers who drop phones on babies are the top cause of phone-related injuries

Do cell phones hurt kids? 

This question is being asked repeatedly by pediatricians, media-savvy parents, teachers, and experts who are always investigating links between kids and phones. 

But the types of injuries to children and babies by phones might not be what you think. 

Your baby won’t be harmed because they have a TikTok addiction. Rather, almost 50% of phone-related injuries to children 0-2 years old are being struck by them. In other words, people are dropping phones on their babies. Nearly a quarter of phone-related injuries for very young babies and children are ingesting a part of the phone.

Other injuries include phone parts entering the nose or ear, electrical shock or burn, laceration, falls from walking while being distracted by a phone, and being a victim in a distracted driving accident. The electrical injuries were all related to chargers.

Common types of phone-related injuries to children

We can see how the types of phone injuries change as a child gets older, which makes sense because babies and toddlers are injured by their adults’ use of phones or access to phones or chargers that are not intended for young children and older children and teens are injured by their own behavior related to the phones.

Accidental dropping

Some phones are heavy and have hard edges, which means that if one drops on a child (particularly on their head), the child could be seriously injured. This is particularly true if it’s dropped from a height—which is not unusual. If an adult who stands at about 5’5” tall drops a phone on a toddler or baby who’s crawling or sitting on the floor, and the phone weighs 8 ounces and falls about three feet from their hands, that can cause a serious head injury to a baby.

Choking

Phone accessories can have small, detachable parts. Items like removable PopSockets, or other detachable cover items, can pose a choking hazard for a young child.

Electric shock

A damaged phone or one that has an exposed wire could be hazardous if a young child puts it in their mouth. Additionally, a charger should never be left plugged in to an electrical source but not attached to a phone because a child can be injured if they put the phone port end of a charger in their mouth.

Infants and toddlers (0-2 years)
Nearly half of injuries to babies were because an adult or sibling dropped a phone while holding the child. These injuries included head or facial injuries caused by being struck by a cell phone. Nearly ⅓ of babies’ injuries from cell phones were because the baby ingested a part or accessory. The electrical injuries to babies this age involved cell phone chargers.
Young children (3-10 years)
Nearly half of this age group’s injuries were also attributed to being struck by a dropped or thrown phone. However, lacerations (cuts) and foreign bodies inserted into the nose or ears were also primary injuries. Nearly 60% of all children whose phone-related injury was parts in the nose or ear were three or four years old.
Pre-teens and young teens (11-15 years)
By 11-15 years old, kids are starting to be injured by their own mobile phone use, not just as collateral victims from other people using them. About a quarter of injuries in this age range resulted from distracted mobility, like walking, biking, or skateboarding while being distracted by a cell phone. 20% of the injuries to this age children are hand and wrist pain from texting and overuse.
Older teens (16-18 years)
Distracted driving and walking while using phones contributed to 18% of phone injuries for older teens. Another 5% were from bike or skateboard accidents. However, even in this age range, being struck by a cell phone still accounted for more than 20% of injuries.
Young adults (19-21 years)
Similar to the younger teens, distracted mobility accounted for nearly half of injuries to young adults. This group has the highest incidence of car accidents related to phones, and this was the most common type of injury.

Impact of parental phone use on babies’ development

In addition to the common physical injuries caused by mobile phones, excessive phone use around babies may also impact their emotional and cognitive development. Research suggests that fragmented or inattentive caregiving—such as frequently checking a smartphone while nurturing a baby—can disrupt crucial developmental processes.

How can phone use affect babies’ development? 

• Disrupted brain development: Studies by researchers at UC Irvine found that chaotic or inconsistent caregiving during infancy can interfere with the development of key neural circuits. Babies rely on predictable and consistent stimuli, such as maternal eye contact and touch, to strengthen dopamine-receptor pathways. When this consistency is interrupted by phone use, it may impair the brain's pleasure system, increasing risks for emotional disorders like depression in adolescence.

• Decreased verbal interaction: Research published in the journal Child Development revealed that mothers using their phones while caring for their babies spoke 16 percent less to them. This reduction in verbal interaction can decrease babies’ exposure to language, potentially hindering speech and cognitive development over time.

• Weakened bonding and emotional connection: Breastfeeding and other nurturing activities rely on physical touch and eye contact to foster a secure attachment between parent and child. Using a phone during these moments can diminish bonding, leading to feelings of neglect in babies and impairing their emotional security.

• Exposure to radiation and safety risks: Prolonged phone use near babies exposes them to electromagnetic radiation, which some experts suggest could be harmful to developing bodies. Additionally, distracted caregiving increases the likelihood of accidents, such as dropping the phone on the baby.

By being mindful of how phone use affects your baby, you can foster a stronger bond and support healthy brain and emotional development. If you’re unsure about how your habits may be impacting your child, consider consulting with a pediatrician or child development specialist.

FAQs about phone-related injuries and usage around children

1. Can a phone’s blue light affect my child’s health?

Yes, prolonged exposure to blue light from screens can disrupt your child’s sleep patterns by interfering with their production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Limiting screen time before bedtime is especially important for older children and teens.

2. Are there risks associated with children holding heavy phones for long periods?

Yes, excessive use of phones by children, especially holding heavy devices, can cause wrist, hand, and finger pain. Over time, this may lead to repetitive strain injuries or even tendonitis.

3. How can I tell if my child is spending too much time on their phone?

Signs of excessive phone use include:

• Decreased interest in non-screen activities.
• Mood swings or irritability when not using the phone.
• Physical complaints like headaches, eye strain, or sore hands.

4. Can phones overheat and harm children?

Yes, overheated phones can cause burns or injuries if touched for an extended period. Research from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) highlights that overheating in electronic devices, including phones, can occur due to prolonged charging or use of damaged batteries. In extreme cases, overheating can lead to burns or even rare incidents of battery explosions.

To reduce risks:

• Ensure your child avoids using a phone while it’s charging, especially with third-party chargers.
• Regularly inspect the device for signs of damage, such as a swollen battery or cracks.
• Avoid leaving phones in direct sunlight or on surfaces that can trap heat, like bedding or couches.

5. Should I be concerned about my baby playing with a phone’s camera or flashlight?

Yes, while these features may seem harmless, the bright light from a phone’s flashlight or camera flash can be too intense for a baby’s developing eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, exposure to high-intensity light sources, especially at close range, can strain the eyes and potentially damage sensitive developing retinas in infants. It’s best to avoid letting babies play with these features directly and ensure that any screen or light source is kept at a safe distance.

How can you prevent a child's mobile phone injury?

You can minimize the risk of a mobile phone injury to a child by taking these preventive measures:

1. Store a phone away from a child’s reach. Place it on a high shelf or out of sight so the child isn’t tempted to climb the furniture to get it.
2. Avoid using your handheld phone while holding or carrying a baby. If you need to make a call, wear earbuds and place the phone away from you so your hands are free. 
3. Keep any small parts, accessories, and chargers away from your child’s reach. 
4. If your phone has signs of damage or exposed wires or parts, replace or repair it immediately. 
5. Teach older children how to safely operate the phone, along with proper use of chargers and other peripheral devices.

It’s also important to teach older children about distraction from the phone while doing other things. Even a child who can’t drive must understand that they should not use or look at a phone while riding a bike, scooter, or other wheeled toy. They shouldn’t use the phone while walking, either! Some injuries happen because a child is distracted by their phone and forgets to look both ways when crossing the street, drifts into traffic instead of walking a straight path, or trips on a hazard that they didn’t notice because they were looking at the phone. 

Finally, if your teen has a driver’s license or is a passenger of friends who drive, it’s crucial to share with them the dangers of distracted driving. Distracted driving has been said to be more dangerous than driving drunk (although they shouldn’t do that, either!) because it occupies each of your functions needed to drive—manual, visual and cognitive. 

Phones are here to stay and kids are using them younger and younger. Most toddlers understand the basics of mobile phones, even before they can do things like tie their shoes or brush their teeth on their own.

There are numerous instances of the content of the phones (i.e. social media) being blamed for injuries. For example:

• Lawsuits Against Social Media Companies
• Driver Scrolling TikTok Causes Arizona Crash that Kills Five
• Snapchat Sued After Tragic Georgia Car Crash
• Omegle Website Lawsuit by Child Victim

But these aren’t the most likely types of injuries to your baby or young child. To protect your child from a phone-related injury, be mindful of where your baby is when you’re holding your phone and restrict a young child’s unsupervised access to electronic devices, chargers and accessories.