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A new study published in the Pediatrics journal shows common nursery items like strollers, carriers, and cribs are causing thousands of accidents per year. The increase could be explained by the fact that concussions are now easier to identify.
57 Out of Every 10,000 Children Get Injured Each Year
The goal of the study was to determine the parameters of the increasing epidemiology of nursery product-related injuries observed in the United States.
Christopher E. Gaw and his team analyzed medical records from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. The researchers looked at all files belonging to patients under the age of three that were brought to the emergency room from 1991 to 2011.
The scientists found that approximately 1 391 844 children under the age of three were hospitalized due to nursery product-related injuries over the course of 21 years.
From 1991 to 2003, the annual injury rate dropped by 33.9 percent only to be immediately followed by a 23.7 percent increase from 2003 to 2011.
According to the study entitled, Nursery Product-Related Injuries Treated in United States Emergency Departments, the 33.9 percent decrease registered between 1991 and 2003 was due to a drop in accidents related to nursery products like cribs or strollers, while the 23.7 increase can be explained by medical advancements that allow concussions to be easier diagnosed.
When dividing the number of injuries according to the object that caused them, researchers found that baby carriers were responsible for most accidents as 19.5 percent of all infants under the age of three committed to the emergency room fell from a baby carrier.
Next, they listed cribs and/or mattresses that sent 18.6 percent of children to the hospital. Carriages and/or strollers were responsible for 16.5 percent of injuries, while exercisers, baby walkers, and jumpers affected 16.2 percent of patients.
Concerning the cause of the accident, 80 percent of all injuries were due to a self-precipitated fall. In 47.1 percent of occasions, the children hurt their neck or head.
Dr. Gaw and his team advise parents to better secure strollers, carriers, and cribs as babies are prone to accidents due to their anatomy, their large heads causing them to lose balance.
The researchers also suggest that parents should only stick to necessary items like strollers and give up on the use of highly dangerous products such as carriers.
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