Babies falling out of carriers accounted for most injuries
A study has found that the number of children injuring themselves on nursery equipment has increased 25% since 2003.
The American study, published in the Pediatrics journal, ran from 1991 to 2011, and found that over a million injuries were treated in emergency departments over the course of the research.
80% of the injuries were caused by babies falling out of the equipment, and baby carriers were found to be the most common product with which children were having accidents.
The lead author of the study, Gary Smith, had previously worked on a similar paper that looked into safety flaws on baby walkers. His research led manufacturers to make modifications that made them less likely to topple over or roll down stairs, such as widening them and changing the wheels.
As a result of this, there was a decline in injuries from 1991-2003, but after that, the injury rate began increasing again.
The study's aim isn't to scare or blame parents, said Tracy Mehan, a researcher at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She told USA Today that it's the manufacturers who are at fault.
"If the products had a different design that made them easier to use, there would be less injury," she said.
The increase in injuries was driven by a rise in the number of concussions and head trauma, the study said. 47.1% of the injuries surveyed were to the head or neck, with 19.5% of injuries caused by baby carriers.
Walkers and strollers, by comparison, had an injury rate of 16.2%.
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