Some of the most popular nursery items parents acquire from their list of must-haves are likely the main causes of child-related injuries. Experts say these products have been linked to several emergency cases, sending an average of one child to the hospital every eight minutes.
Experts conducted a Nationwide Children's Hospital study and looked into ER visits from 1991 to 2011. They learned that 80 percent of the cases arose from accidents involving nursery items like bouncers, carriers, cribs or strollers. The cases of nursery item injuries rose to 25 percent in the last eight years of the study's scope. The findings were published in the Pediatrics journal.
The majority of the accidents were head injuries or concussions, which can put young babies in serious risks as their brains are still developing. Some of the accidents resulted in babies falling from the nursery equipment causing strains or broken limbs. Some injuries also affected the face and neck areas, according to Fox.
"It is unacceptable that we are still seeing so many injuries to young children from these products," senior study author Dr. Gary Smith of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital said, according to Science Daily. Researchers suggested due diligence on the part of parents.
Parents should be aware of the 4R process in purchasing nursery items: research, recall, register and read. First, they should research about the product then check for product recalls. All of the information can be found online.
Once parents have the nursery item, they should register the product as most companies have these for warranties and after-sales service. Parents should also read the manual carefully and thoroughly before using the item.
Parents should also make sure the children are properly strapped in the carriers or strollers. "Do not to put anything heavy like a purse or bags on the back of the stroller so that it can tip over," co-study author Tracy Mehan said, per CBS Philadelphia.
