Physical Wellness

Injuries Related To Baby Products On The Rise [VIDEO]

By Lori Brown | Update Date: Mar 14, 2017 07:38 AM EDT

A study that looked into the prevalence of nursery product-related injuries nationwide concluded that they have been on the rise since 2004 despite a decrease in these cases before that.

Over 1.3 million children were sent to the hospital because of injuries involving nursery products from 1991 through 2011.

The research, led by Dr. Gary Smith, the director of Nationwide Children's Hospital Center for Injury Research and Policy was published in the journal Pediatrics. It analyzed data from emergency departments in the U.S. where children three years old and younger were treated from 1991 through 2011 for injuries related to the use of nursery products.

It looked at where the injuries happened, the body parts affected and the type of injuries sustained. It also provided information about what caused the injury and the kind of product involved.

The nursery products most commonly linked to the injuries were baby carriers (19.5 percent), cribs and mattresses (18.6 percent), strollers and carriages (16.5 percent), or baby walkers, jumpers and exercisers (16.2 percent).

The baby falling out of the product occurred in 80 percent of the cases. 86.1 percent of these injuries involved baby carriers, cribs and mattresses, strollers and carriages, baby walkers, jumpers and exercisers.

Results of the study showed that the possibility for children below six months old to sustain injuries from breathing-related means, a fall involving a caregiver and product flaws, was higher than older kids.

The head and neck were the most commonly affected part of the body. The face was injured in 34 percent of the cases and it more likely involved nursery products such as strollers and carriages, baby bottles, warmers and sterilizers.

One of the researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Tracy Mehan, warned parents about the dangers of nursery products, specifically cribs made before 2011, the USA Today reported. She also discouraged them from buying used car seats which could have been involved in a car accident, making them less secure.

She urged them to research about the product they are using, and to find out whether the product is the subject of a recall. It will also work to their advantage when they read the manuals thoroughly.

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