AAP Warns Parents About Shopping Cart Injuries

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a warning about shopping cart injuries, saying that it's time for parents to take action to make this type of injury less common for children. According to AAP, more than 24,000 children were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for shopping cart injuries in 2005. The majority of these children were under age 5. Many of the injuries were to the head and neck.

In the release, AAP called for shopping carts to be re-designed to lessen the chance of injuries to children, and suggests that until the re-design happens, parents should:

• leave children at home or have another adult come along to watch children at the store
• put children in strollers, baby carriers or wagons instead of shopping carts
• ask older children to walk instead of riding on the cart
• shop online if possible

If you do put a child in a shopping cart, AAP recommends that you be sure the child is appropriately secured by a harness or safety belt. Do not:

• put a baby carrier or infant car seat on top of the shopping cart
• allow a child to stand up in the shopping cart
• allow children to ride in the basket or on the outside of the shopping cart.