Shopping carts -- low-speed dangers

by Roger Sinasohn (Subscribe to Roger Sinasohn's posts) Aug 7th 2006 5:30PM

Categories: Money & Work, Places To Go, Health & Safety

A couple of weeks ago, we were at a local market with the kids when we saw another kid, sitting in a shopping cart, fall over. The kid's mom had briefly turned away to get a product off the shelf and I guess the kid tried to stand up. The cart went over, the kid went down, and the mother freaked. Luckily, the kid was okay. Not so for more than 24,000 kids last year, however, reports SFGate. Most of these injuries occured when the kid fell out of the cart or the cart tipped over. Almost three quarters of the injuries were to the head or neck and of the shopping-cart-related ER visits, the vast majority were for children under five years old.

Because of this, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a warning about the dangers of shopping carts. "I don't think it's bad parenting," noted Dr. Gary Smith, lead author of the pediatricians' statement. "It's bad product design." Ninety percent of the incidents happened with a parent "right there," he added. "The best parent doesn't realize how quickly it can happen or how serious the injuries can be." Dr. Smith is the director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He began looking into shopping-cart injuries after a child in his hospital nearly died from a head injury -- the child had fallen from a shopping cart -- and he discovered that his hospital was seeing one or two such cases every week.

I know that Sara regularly stands up and tries to jump out of the seat of shopping carts. Of the six things they list that a parent should never do, we're guilty of the last four. Of course, there's not a lot you can do to get around the problem. The AAP offers a few suggestions -- get someone to watch the kids while you shop, shop online, put kids in strollers -- but in the real world of everyday life, these aren't always practical options. Still, it's important for parents to be aware of the problem. We are lucky enough to shop at a market that offers a supervised play area for children. Sara isn't quite old enough yet, but we're going to do our best to keep her alive until she is. Knowing the dangers now, will you still put your kids in a shopping cart? Have you ever had an accident? Do you have any tips for avoiding the whole shopping cart issue?

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Comments (8)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Amy 8-07-2006 @ 6:23PM

I use a shopping cart cover that has its own seat belt, because so many carts are broken or damaged around here. I'd rather have one that I can trust, and that I know is adjustable to her size.

A Walmart employee commented on it last time I was there, and said that the previous day, a woman with a baby in a shopping cart cover had been in the check out, when the baby somehow fell out and hit her head on the floor, knocking herself unconscious. I would NOT use a shopping cart cover that did not have a seat belt. The woman I spoke to said that she didn't know whether or not the mom was using a seatbelt, but clearly if she was, it was too loose.

I also cringe when I see parents put the infant carseat on top of the shopping cart. They are NOT meant to be used in that fashion, and could quite easily tip and cause injury to the baby. It causes the back end of the cart to be much heavier than the front end, and is not safe at all.

I carried my daughter in a Baby Bjorn until she was too big for it. A sling also avoids the whole issue, but she's getting too heavy for me to lug around in that for more than a half hour or so, too.

Spring 8-07-2006 @ 6:55PM

Thanks for posting this. It seriously makes me reconsider using carts at all, and I will be much more vigilant if I do. I think we might just do smaller, more frequent trips instead so a cart isn't necessary. Walking to the store is good exercise for us anyway.

Heather B. 8-07-2006 @ 7:39PM

We've got a couple of the "shopping cart horror stories" under our belt with 4 under 9. Both times I was "right there" and watching what happened.

Once, my oldest--then 4-- tried to "climb the side" of the cart to get to something in or on the cart. All I remember was her tipping the shopping cart on top of herself sideways on the concrete floor. Somehow her lip got busted, so there was blood. I can't remember, but thankfully it was minor. She wasn't IN the cart, but instead trying to be ON the cart, though. I can't stand it when I see moms allowing their children to "ride the cart" from the outside because of this incident. So sitting isn't the ONLY danger with these things!

The other time was more recent with my youngest. He is now 3, but I think he was very close to 2 when it happened, and quite precocious. He was notorious for standing up in the cart, etc. I tried everything I knew to tie his little rear in where he couldn't get loose. Just as bad in strollers, too! He has fallen a time or 2 from them, also. But for the shopping cart...
This one resulted in one of the CLASSIC ER VISITS! We were in Home Depot in the flooring, trying to ask a tiling question. My husband was also right there within hand's reach of the cart. I still had my hand on the cart, but turned either sideways or almost all the way around. Matthew was hanging on my arm and mad that I wasn't picking him up, but the guy was trying to show me how to score a tile with a tool. He lunged at me, and ended up head-first on the concrete. Immediately a huge hematoma rose on his little head, and he was HOWLING! They brought me ice right away, but I tried to take him right down the street to the pediatrician's office before they closed. She made me take him straight to the ER. Meanwhile, he was acting fine, and had never been unconcious, but with this humongous bruise on the forehead. Now don't think for a second I am immune to "goose eggs" as we have seen plenty and his nickname used to BE "goose-egg" because he seemingly ALWAYS had one whenever we took portriats especially. But his was worse- it looked much worse- than the others. The whole time we waited for the doctor he was climbing everything as usual. Thankfully, the doctor and nurses could tell I was trying my best to contain him- he's just a ridiculously busy child! He was fine, but what if he hadn't been, as is the case with so many?

Uly 8-07-2006 @ 8:07PM

Simple - endeavour to live in an area where you can get your groceries delivered. This is also useful if you're an agoraphobe :)

Alternatively, you could not have children at all, but if you're interested in the hazards of shopping carts it's probably already too late for that.

ann adams 8-07-2006 @ 8:13PM

Luckily I don't have any horror stories of my own even when I've had one in the child seat and two in the cart with my husband pushing cart number 2. (Definitely not recommended).

I have however grabbed the child of a total stranger more than once to keep them from going headlong.

Our supermarkets now all have the pullalongs which are hard to steer but much safer. One has mini carts for kids that are old enough to walk and push a cart. I loved them although I'm not too sure how the market felt about 3 little shopping carts, all in a row, and all with exactly the same number of items (see earlier comment on your "math" post).

cee 8-07-2006 @ 11:14PM

I am very careful with shopping cart passengers, I follow all the rules. But accidents can still happen. I remember I had my 2 year old in the seat and while I was picking something out my 4 year old tried to climb in (without permission) and almost pulled the whole thing over. I just happened to see it tipping out of the corner of my eye and I grabbed hold of the cart and pulled it back up. Scared me and my kids. I keep one hand on the cart now when I look away.

Brenda 8-08-2006 @ 9:47AM

I have found that for the really littles the design of the shopping cart makes it MORE dangerous not less. It pulls them back so far that they can not bend their legs and can not hold on to anything, and you can never find one of the carts with a built in seat when you need it.

Shopping carts need to be redesigned anyway. They do not fit cases of water and other things people tend to buy now, more than they did when shopping carts were invented. Also would breaks on the wheels kill them, sure it is just one more thing to break but really now. Hubby says carts don't have breaks because they are supposed to stay on flat surfaces, which would be fine if parking lots were level.

Until then you can a) use a carrier or b) there are ways of using most carriers and slings to safely attach a baby to a cart. Just google the instructions. (Course I say that and now I can't find the instructions )

Jason 8-09-2006 @ 1:44PM

I have to respectfully disagree with the good doctor. It's bad parenting. The product design is fine and has been for 10's of years.

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