A nurse is caring for a group of children on a pediatric unit. The nurse should identify that which of the following diagnoses may increase the risk of falls?

Fall risk in pediatric clients is influenced by age, mobility, developmental stage, and conditions that affect balance, coordination, or vision. Toddlers are already at increased risk for falls because of developing motor skills, curiosity, and limited safety awareness. When a visual disturbance such as strabismus is present, depth perception and coordination may be impaired further. Nurses must identify children with the greatest fall risk to implement appropriate safety precautions and prevent injury. Rationale: A. An infant who has constipation is not at significant increased risk for falls because infants have limited independent mobility and are usually closely supervised. Constipation may cause discomfort or irritability, but it does not directly impair balance, vision, or ambulation. Therefore, it is not considered a major fall-risk factor. B. A child who has asthma may require monitoring for respiratory distress, but asthma itself does not directly increase fall risk unless severe weakness or medication side effects are present. The condition mainly affects airway function rather than coordination or balance. Without additional complications, asthma is not the highest fall-risk diagnosis. C. An adolescent who has neutropenia is at increased risk for infection rather than falls. Neutropenia reflects low neutrophil levels and requires infection prevention measures such as limiting exposure to pathogens. It does not inherently affect gait, vision, or motor coordination, so fall risk is not the primary concern. D. A toddler who has strabismus is at greater risk for falls because misalignment of the eyes can interfere with depth perception and visual coordination. Toddlers are already prone to falls due to active exploration and immature motor control, and impaired vision increases this risk further. This combination makes fall prevention a priority for safety.