It is overwhelming to be a parent because there are so many different options for infant products out there and it can be challenging to determine which products are going to keep your child safe. Parents need to know that when they put their child in their crib, stroller, or carrier that the product has been designed to keep children safe. Unfortunately, NPR conducted a study recently that suggested, “Baby injuries associated with nursery products like carriers, strollers, and cribs are on the rise.”
So the question becomes, how often are children suffering injuries from infant products that are dangerous? The study looked at the years 2003-2011 and found that there was a 23.7% increase in the number of child injuries that are associated with nursery products. Researchers found that “the vast majority of these injuries were to the head, neck, or face.”
Approximately 80% of the injuries were the result of a fall. These falls are the result of accidents such as a baby carrier falling off of the surface because of poor traction, or the baby moving, which causes the carrier to tip over. Injuries also result from children falling down the stairs in a walker or a child trying to climb out of their crib and falling.
Jerri Rose, a Case Western Reserve University Medical School assistant professor of pediatric medicine said, “When kids fall, they tend to fall headfirst.” Because of this, many falls cause the child to suffer from a traumatic brain injury. Rose also stated, “Babies have such large heads and so little control of their bodies, so in young children, we often see injuries to their head and neck area.”
A big question is why there is an increase in infant injuries that are associated with nursery products. Rose, along with other authors of the study do not have a straight-forward answer, but a few theories are that doctors are now identifying more brain injuries that were overlooked before or that that nowadays, more nursery products are being sold, so more babies are suffering injuries from those products.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics, and it contained several statistics regarding infant products and child injuries:
- 6% of the injuries involved infant cribs or mattresses
- 5% of the injuries involved strollers
- 5% of the injuries involved in baby carriers
- 2% of the injuries were linked to walkers, jumpers, or exercisers
For parents to reduce the risk of their child suffering an injury related to a nursey product, it is a good idea to check for recalls on products and always monitor your children closely when using the products. If your child has suffered an injury that was caused by a dangerous or defective product, contact us for a Free Consultation with a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer.
Call (312) 726-2430 or email. All cases are handled on a contingency basis, meaning you do not pay unless we provide results.
