CHICAGO, June 1 -- The most common injuries among young children vary by age, with the most dangerous time coming at 15 to 17 months, according to a study published today in the journal Pediatrics.

The study by the University of California reviewed 23,000 childhood injuries, 636 of them fatal, from 1996 to 1998. It was intended to alert parents and doctors to hazards.

The study found that in the first year of life falls were the main source of injury before 3 months, battering at 3 to 5 months, falls from furniture at 6 to 8 months, swallowing foreign objects at 9 to 11 months and hot liquid or vapors at 12 to 17 months. The injury rate peaked at 15 to 17 months.

''This coincides with developmental achievements such as independent mobility, exploratory behavior and hand-to-mouth activity,'' the report said.

Published: 06 - 02 - 2003 , Late Edition - Final , Section A , Column 1 , Page 14