Introduction: Penetrating head injuries are rare especially in the paediatric age group. Relatively minor falls over common household objects can cause potentially life-threatening brain injuries.
Case report: We describe a penetrating head injury caused by a household electrical plug in a 6-month-old child. The two rounded pins of the plug were embedded in the posterior parietal area of her head, very close to the cranial midline. There was no neurological deterioration or bleeding. Radiological investigation showed a depressed skull fracture underneath the two pins. One of them came very close to the superior sagittal sinus but there was no evidence of intracranial bleeding. The electrical plug was extracted under general anaesthesia in the operating theatre. The penetrating fracture segments were removed. The sagittal venous sinus was fortunately undamaged.
Conclusions: Household objects like electrical plugs may constitute a risk for children. It may be worthwhile to reconsider the design of electrical plugs.