Baby Products Involved in More Emergency Room Visits

February 2008

Parents – a new study reports that everyday products found in your child’s nursery are involved in an increasing amount of injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that cribs, high chairs, walkers, baby baths, and other nursery products were involved in 66,400 injuries that sent children under the age of five to emergency rooms in 2006.

From 2002-2004, 241 children died in incidents involving nursery equipment. The CPSC calls particular attention to crib and playpen-related safety, since these two products were involved in a significant portion of infant deaths. Parents are urged to avoid placing items like stuffed animals, blankets, and pillows in cribs and playpens as this can result in suffocation. Additionally, parents should never use cribs with missing or defective parts.

The 2006 statistics demonstrate a marked increase from 2005, with 6,600 more recorded emergency room visits. The CPSC found that falls were the leading cause of injury, and 42% of all injuries involved the head.