Hidden Danger: Shopping Carts

The thought that their children may be seriously injured while doing something as ordinary and everyday as grocery shopping probably never occurs to most parents. Most parents are wise enough to know that children should not ride standing up in shopping carts. "Sit down before you fall!" is heard frequently in most grocery stores. Besides falling out of the cart, children who are allowed to hang on the outside edge may also fall or tip the cart over on them. Older children may cause the cart to tip if they try to climb inside or reach for something in the bottom of the cart.

Shopping carts pose a serious hidden danger to children. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that 24,000 children were treated in emergency rooms after falling, becoming entrapped, or being struck by shopping carts in 2005. Ninety-three percent of these injuries occurred in children under five years old. The most frequent injuries occur to the head or neck and include fractures, bruises, and lacerations.

The AAP is calling for safety design changes for shopping carts that include adequate child-restraint systems and improved cart stability. While it can be difficult to tell by looking whether a shopping cart is safe, there are steps you can take to ensure your child's well-being while you are grocery shopping:

Use the seat belt or safety harness provided with the cart. Don't use a cart that does not have a belt or harness. Be sure the safety equipment is the right size for your child's age and size.

Never allow children to ride in the front basket, hang on the outside, reach inside, or climb into the cart.

Never leave your child unattended in, or with, the cart.

Don't allow young children to push the cart, especially if there is another sibling inside.

Take another adult or teenage child along to help keep an eye on younger children.

Never place an infant seat on top of the cart, which makes it top-heavy and even more unstable. Place the seat in the basket or carry the baby in a front pack.