Strollers And Carriers Send At Least Two Children Per Hour To The ER

A new study has revealed that between the years 1990 and 2010, there were about 361,000 children in the United States were brought to the emergency department for injuries they suffered while on riding in a stroller or carrier.

CNN reported that every hour, about two children aging 5 years old or younger are treated in the emergency rooms for strollers or car carrier-related injuries. According to the study published in the journal Academic Pediatrics, children often suffered head injuries which totaled to almost 62 percent of the total incidents and face injuries which totaled to 25 percent.

Kristin Roberts, author of the study and a research associate in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio explained that there are more than 17,000 injuries every year which equals to about 50 children every day or at least two injuries every hour. "We expect strollers and carriers to be safe and provide a secure way to transport children."

Roberts told Reuters Health that she use strollers and carriers to transport her children for their daily activities however, she wanted to note what injuries are happening involving them. For the study, the researchers used information on stroller- or carrier- related injuries among children aging 5 years old or young recorded in the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System between the years 1990 and 2010. Roberts also explained that the injuries were serious enough to require medical attention and trips to the emergency department.

Researchers found that most of the affected children that had to make a trip to the ER fell from either a stroller or carrier or when a stroller overturns. Moreover, the head and the face were always the parts of the body most commonly affected during the fall. According to Tech Times, a number of the cases resulted in soft tissue injuries such as bruises and bumps, but there were traumatic brain injuries (TBI) or concussions.

During the course of the study, researchers noticed that the number of TBI/concussion cases related to strollers doubled from 19 percent in 1990 to 42 percent in 2010 while carrier-related injuries tripled, skyrocketing from 18 percent in 1990 to a whopping 53 percent in 2010. Roberts also said: "While these products are used safely by families every day, when injuries do occur they can be quite serious." She also stressed the importance to know that there is a possibility that TBI and concussion could bring about long term effects on the cognitive development of the child.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that most children who suffered these accidents were usually just sent home after their injuries were treated. However, around 7 percent of those who have undergone carrier-related accidents needed to be admitted in the hospital compared to about 2 percent of those in stroller accidents.

Roberts also recommended that parents take a few extra precautions to make sure their children are safe in strollers and carriers. These include simple steps like making sure the child is safely buckled into the device and secure while in use. Parents should also be aware that anything may tip or topple the device over like putting a heavy object or placing it on an uneven surface. "If parents can take a few extra steps to avoid injuries and falls, then parents can hopefully use these product more safely and reduce the likelihood that their children will be injured," said Roberts.