Dangerous Strollers and Carriers Sending Thousands to the ER Annually

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Orland Park Personal Injury Lawyer

A recent study has revealed that thousands of children are treated in emergency rooms each year because of injuries they receive from strollers and baby carriers. In fact, between the years 1990 through 2010, 361,000 children who were 5-years-old or younger were treated in emergency rooms across the country for injuries received from these devices. This works out to more than 17,000 injured children every year, 50 children per day, or two injured children per hour.

The study was conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital using data which was collected by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

Common Dangers

According to the data, the majority of injuries to children involved the head or face and was usually caused by the carrier or stroller tipping over. More than one-third of children who were treated suffered from either traumatic brain injuries (TBI) or concussions. One of the researchers pointed out just how tragic the consequences of TBIs can be in young children because of the long-term consequences it can have on the child’s cognitive development.

During the years involved in the study, the number of stroller-related head or brain injuries jumped from 19 to 42 percent. The number of carrier-related head or brain injuries almost tripled, going from 18 to 53 percent. The study team cautioned that one reason for such a dramatic spike could be that medical personnel have become more and more aware of the symptoms and seriousness of head injuries to children.

Increasing Safety Regulations

Although, over the years, federal safety standards and regulations have become more stringent for children’s’ products, it has only been approximately 10 years or so that most of these regulations were put in place. Many parents purchase these products used, at garage sales or consignment shops, and those used strollers may not be up to federal safety standards.

During the more than two decades the study looked at, there were 43 stroller recalls and 13 carrier seat recalls issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The most common injuries that prompted the recalls included falls, choking hazards, entrapment, strangulation, lacerations, and amputations.

Contact an Attorney

Unfortunately, no matter how safe we think a product we are purchasing for our child is, even new products can have defective parts or design which can lead to injuries. If your child has been injured by a defective product, contact an experienced Orland Park personal injury attorney today. Call Issa Law, LLC at 708-966-2408 for your free initial consultation.

Source:

http://www.academicpedsjnl.net/pb/assets/raw/Health%20Advance/journals/acap/ACAP_880%20approved.pdf