Buckle Up In The Cart Too

Shop 'til you drop if you want, but take precautions so you don't drop your young child out of a shopping cart.

Children in increasing numbers have suffered severe head injuries from falls out of shopping carts. U.S. statistics for 1996 show 16,000 children five and under were treated at emergency rooms for falls from shopping carts. This figure was an increase from 7,800 in 1985.

In 1995 and 1996, two thirds of these fall victims were treated for head injuries, and more than half of the head injuries were serious, such as concussions and fractures.

One way to prevent these injuries is to buckle the child in to the cart. Children must also be strictly supervised so they remain properly seated and do not lean out so they can fall or tip the cart. These accidents can happen in an instant, so a child should never be left alone.

Always look for safety straps before placing a child in a shopping cart. If the straps are not available or do not work properly, talk to the store manager.

Children should always be buckled up in the car – and in the shopping cart.