Every hour, two children ages 5 or younger are taken to the emergency room and treated for injuries because of a stroller or car carrier accident.
That’s according to a new study that pulled nearly 21-years worth of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
Over 360,000 children were treated. This averages to about 17,000 young kids each year visiting a hospital emergency room for these kinds of accidents.
Question: What sort of injuries are the children getting?
I’m a father with two young boys so I understand how accidents can happen, especially when you get distracted. The study found almost 62% of children suffered head injuries and nearly 25% suffered face injuries. And carrier-related brain injuries/concussions TRIPLED from 17% in 1990 to nearly 53% in 2010.
Question: How does this affect young children in the long run?
Most children recover quickly from a mild brain injury like a concussion. But concussions can have long-term consequences. It may harm a child’s development, learning and behavior.
Partha’s RX for preventing stroller and car carrier accidents:
- Always buckle up children to help prevent falls and make sure they’re seated properly first.
- Avoid Hanging Items from Handles. This will help lesson accidents, especially for strollers that easily tip-over due to unbalanced weight.
- Keep the carrier low to the ground. Because if an unfortunate accident does happen, the child won’t fall as far.
- Never leave your child in a stroller unattended. Adult supervision is definitely required and will help to prevent accidents.
Question: When it comes to buying strollers or carriers, is newer better?
When it comes to buying stroller or carriers, newer is better. And that’s because there are new federal mandatory safety standards that address these types of accidents.
