Bumpy Ride: Shopping Carts put kids at risk
An estimated 24,000 children, 87% of whom were younger than 5 years old, were treated in EDs in 2005 for shopping cart injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Children in shoppin carts are at risk for tip-overs and falls that can result in head andneck injuries, said Dr/ Smith, lead author of the AAP's policy statement on shopping cart-related injuries.
Parents are encouraged to avoid shopping carts, if possible. Some alternatives include having another adult watch your child at the store or at home while you shop; putting your child in a stroller, wagon or front pack; asking an older child to walk; looking for stores with a supervised in-store play area or shopping online.
If you decide to put your child in a shopping cart, the AAP recommends the following:
- Use a safety belt or harness at all times.
-Never allow your child to stand in a shopping cart.
-Never leave your child alone in a shopping cart.
-Use carts that allow children to ride closer to the ground, like a small model car in the front of the cart.
-Do not place an infant carrier on top of a shopping cart or put a child in the basket.
-Do not allow a child to climb on the cart, ride on the outside of the cart or push the cart with another child in it.
-Shop at stores that offer a pick-up area or help bring groceries to the car.
From AAP News, September 2006