Injuries to children related to shopping carts

• Published in: Pediatrics (Evanston) 1996-02, Vol.97 (2), p.161-165
• Main Authors: SMITH, G. A, DIETRICH, A. M, GARCIA, C. T, SHIELDS, B. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accident Prevention; Accidental Falls; Accidents; Biological and medical sciences; Causes of; Children & youth; Children's accidents; Falls; Humans; Infant; Infant Equipment; Injuries; Male; Medical sciences; Multiple trauma; Pediatrics; Shopping carts; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents
• ISSN: 0031-4005; 1098-4275
• DOI: 10.1542/peds.97.2.161

To describe the epidemiology of shopping cart-related injuries among children and to consider targeted prevention strategies based on these epidemiologic findings. A consecutive series of patients. The emergency department of a large, academic children's hospital. Sixty-two children treated for shopping cart-related injuries during a 15-month period. Children ranged in age from 4 months to 10 years (mean, 2.8 years). Thirty-three children (53%) were boys. Twelve patients (19%) arrived via ambulance. Forty-nine children (79%) had injuries to the head, including one child admitted to the hospital. Eleven children (18%) had fractures, including 5 (8%) with skull fractures. Nine patients (14%) had lacerations, and 30 patients (48%) had superficial injuries (ecchymoses or abrasions). The most common mechanism of injury was falling out of the carts (58% of children), followed by cart tip-overs (26% of children). Injuries caused by falls from the carts occurred across the entire age range, whereas injuries caused by cart tip-overs were most frequent among children 1 year of age or younger. The sitting position was associated with tip-over injuries, and standing in the cart basket was associated with falling from the cart. Shopping cart-related injuries cause serious pediatric morbidity, especially among children younger than 5 years of age, and are potentially fatal. Based on identified age-specific mechanisms of injury, currently used prevention strategies are not sufficient. The use of infant seats and restraining belts is an inadequate strategy for prevention of shopping cart-related injuries among children 1 year of age or younger, because cart tip-over is an important mechanism of injury in this age group. Shopping carts should be redesigned to decrease the tip-over hazard. Transportation of children in shopping carts of current design should be prohibited.