Health
Shopping cart mishaps land thousands of children in EDs
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Aug. 21, 2006
More than 24,000 children were treated in emergency departments last year for shopping cart-related injuries, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group recommends that parents refrain from placing children in the carts until safety improvements are made.
Most of the injuries occurred when a child fell from a cart, the cart tipped over, the child became entrapped in the cart or fell while riding on the outside, according to a new AAP policy statement. Three-quarters of the injuries were to the head and neck, and most of the children treated in emergency departments were younger than 5.
The academy recommends that parents arrange to have another adult come with them to watch the children while shopping, put children in strollers, wagons or front packs instead of the carts, allow older children to walk, leave children supervised at home or shop on the Internet. The group also warns against leaving a child alone in a cart, placing an infant carrier on top of the cart or allowing a child to stand in a cart or ride on the outside.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/08/21/hlbf0821.htm.
