We may think of strollers and car carriers as a place to keep our children safe, but a new study reports that 17,000 children are injured each year in one of these devices – that’s about 2 kids every hour. [1]
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital has found that while the number of children per year injured by strollers and car carriers is shocking, the number for the past 20 years is what’s really alarming. From 1990 to 2010, over 361,000 children under the age of 5 have been treated in the emergency room for traumas related to strollers or car carriers. While most of the injuries are minor and don’t require much further treatment, experts say that some are more serious in the form of head trauma and concussions. [2]
Most of the injuries have occurred from the child falling out of the stroller or car carrier, which, in many cases, can be attributed to the child not being buckled in properly. Some children have suffered injuries if their stroller has tipped over, making them more vulnerable to concussions and other problems.
The study, published in the journal Academic Pediatrics, concludes:
“Stroller- and carrier-related injuries, specifically those resulting from falls from the product or tip-overs, are important sources of injury for children 5 years of age and younger. Although injuries over the 21-year study period decreased overall, the considerable number of injuries annually shows the need to further reduce the potential for injury associated with these ubiquitous products.”
Thankfully, this study isn’t just one that will be placed online and forgotten about. Elliot Kaye, chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, has stated that these new alarming statistics will mean that federal safety standards for strollers and carriers will be adapted to keep injuries to a minimum.
Kaye advises parents to purchase a new stroller or car carrier, as the newer models are more likely to conform to safety standards that make tipping and falling a less likely possibility.
Author Debra Holtzman, who penned the book “The Safe Baby,” recommends that parents choose a stroller appropriate to their child’s size. She also advises parents to peruse safety incidents on saferproducts.gov to ensure that they’re really getting the best stroller or car carrier possible for their child.
Some Precautions
As far as safety concerns, there are a few things parents can do to prevent accidents from happening. Aside from buying a stroller that is appropriate to the child’s size, the child must be strapped in at all times.
It is not recommended that parents hang items like purses or other heavy things off of the handles of the stroller. Parents are also reminded to always lock the stroller when “parked” to ensure that it doesn’t roll away, causing extra injury.
Strollers that are closer to the ground are also recommended, as this can mean that a baby’s fall is going to be a lot shorter than in a higher one.
Sources:
[1] 6ABC
[2] CNN